Two Numbers Ahead
by TobiPalace
Summary: An agent in legend that would accept any job no matter how crazy or dangerous. With the cyber attack on the RFA, The group realizes that they are left more vulnerable than they thought. Luciel can only do so much for safety and nobody has enough knowledge to know where guards and safety precautions are necessary. Luciel's ramblings of the mysterious agent catch Jumin and V's eye.
1. Chapter I. An Invitation.

Chapter I. An InvInvitation

-X- Myeong

"Agent, I know you enjoy jobs like this, and they hired you because of your incoherent methods, but please try to make it out of this one alive." Vanderwood's radio buzzed in my ear.

He was the supervisor for one of the field teams here in South Korea. His team was one of the best here, but they haven't found a replacement for their last field operative that failed a job in the worst way possible. While I do live in this country, I'm usually traveling abroad for other insane missions.

"Don't worry, Mary. I know what I'm doing. Even if I do die, I'll complete the mission, and destroy my own corpse. They won't know who was here."

"That would be a bit less concerning, considering that your clothing is ready to explode on your command." He sighed.

"Myeong has a suicide vest??!!" I turned down my radio with the scream of another one of our teammates.

"None of your business what 733 does to complete the mission. How are you coming with that security issue?" Vanderwood asked.

"Please don't fail Myeong. Well, I can take down the easy stuff like cameras and bugs, but as soon as I take down the locks on the vent, they'll get notified. I'll lock the doors and disarm the vents at the same time, but once I do that, you have one minute to find the victims and free them with the element of surprise on your side. Any later and they'll know you're coming." 707 explained.

"Not the worst odds I've faced. Anybody off limits?" I asked as I racked both of my pistols and checked all of my clips. I had already finished setting the charges on the base of the building.

"Everyone there is a hostile, except for the hostages. So go, anybody but them are in season." Vanderwood clarified.

"What I like to hear. 707, ready in your mark."

"Three… Two.. One. Go!"

The vent was unlocked and I dropped down to the floor. I sprinted through the halls and slid down the stairs as fast as humanly possible for me. Some unfortunate soul's head at the bottom of the second flight got caught against my boot and the wall before he was rendered unconscious with a minimum of a skull fracture.

"Damn, she's fast." 707 laughed as I continued.

Moving down the second hallway, I found myself shooting down two men before moving past them. I started receiving fire until I shot down the offending gunman.

"733, there's an unmapped room we're picking up from the sonar drone." Vanderwood informed.

"Not on the plans, not with the police." I found the door and kicked it open. Five different gunman were already aimed at me. While they hesitated, I had already fired at them and killed one.

My movements and thoughts were nothing but mindless commands that I was supposed to do. Mission number 37-b-8. Objective 1: free the hostages. Objective 2: gather digital files from head computer system. Objective 3: demolish the building.

"Lord, she goes through there like a video game." Seven commented.

There were no more men in the room after I had taken down the next four. "Unlock the base level door to the left. C'mon people, let's get out of here fast!" I lead the victims out to the door while I protected them. Ushering them all out, I headed back into the building. "Get as far away from here as you can! Lock it now!" the door locked once again.

Objective 1: complete.

"733? You were supposed to get out of the building." Vanderwood deadpanned.

"There was a server room on the second floor. We need any information we can get. If you don't hear from me in five minutes, blow the charges."

"What??!?!!"

"You heard her, 707." Vanderwood growled. "This is why nobody hires you for intense operations."

"I beg to differ, he's actually the voice of survival right now. Even though it's unnecessary, the thought that I could get out of this alive is a comforting sentiment." I fired a few times at the locked glass door to the server room so I could kick it down. Placing the drive in the main computer, I left it to start downloading.

"See, I make sense!!!" 707 cheered.

"Making sense is a stretch."

The information finished downloading as I took it with me. A stray bullet grazed my arm before I turned around to kill the offending gunman. Poor woman.

Objective 2: complete.

"You need to get out of there fast." Vanderwood warned.

"I got it." I panted as I shot the window before jumping out of it. Hitting the ground with a roll, I ran to the tool shed and hid behind it. I barely managed to cover my ears before the massive explosions got me flinching.

Objective 3: complete. Mission 37-b-8: complete.

"I'm around the block. The police will be here any minute now." Seven spoke up as I now jogged my way to the luxury car. Opening the door, Seven was ready to get out.

"Are you bleeding?" He asked.

"A little. Bullet grazed my arm. Will leave a scar, won't need stitches."

"First aid in the glove box. Mary said you were insane, I didn't think she meant literally." I pulled off my mask and took a deep breath in. Taking the first aid kit and patching up my cut, I winced at the pain of the alcohol.

"Well someone's gotta do the crazy jobs, so why not me?" I rolled my eyes at him referencing Mr. Vanderwood as a woman.

"I actually did some research on you before you came. You lived in North Korea before coming here, yeah?" He asked.

"Just drive, Agent."

"Call me Luciel. But our records only go as far as when we found you. I could tell Myeong isn't your real name, but there are no records of what your name was previous to it. You were a member of a coup d'èta looking to over throw the government. We have records of some of your acts from your work there as a teenager, and honestly, it's a bit concerning that you started there when you were thirteen and left only at seventeen."

"You normally stalk a girl's past to flirt, or am I just special?" I grunted. My brown hair was nearly shaven on the sides and back, but my bangs stuck to my sweaty face as I finally tried to relax.

"If I were flirting, you would be swooning." Luciel dramatically sighed.

"Yeah good for you. We need to turn in our reports by tomorrow morning if we want to get paid."

"Ahg. Why by tomorrow?! I wanted to waste so much time!"

"Because hostage operations need to be followed up immediately. Not my fault the rules are like that."

"You talk about rules, when you fly through a building, disobeying every law of physics I'm aware of."

I shot him a bored glare and rolled over in my propped back seat. "My capabilities are limited like yours, just in a different area."

"Well, I can break the normal law, and you can break the laws of reality."

"No I can break the normal law too. It's a little hard to live in a place like North Korea and not break any laws. Especially when your rousing a coup d'èta with twelve of your closest friends."

"But you are not affiliated with them anymore."

"A dictatorship doesn't care who's friends with who, they care that they destroy the threats of instilling hope into their people." I explained.

"So they've all passed away?"

"They're dead, no need to sugar coat it. 'Passed away' makes it sound like a peaceful event. I was just lucky enough to not be there when they blew the warehouse sky high."

"You got out of there, though. We made sure of it after we had heard that you were alive and functional. What kind of revenge are you planning?" He asked.

"I'm not. I spent all of my teen years learning how to fight, fear nothing, and do the most irrational things. The Agency was one of the only places that wanted my skills and that I was okay with working for."

"Damn, and I thought I had a tragic backstory." He chuckled.

"Your brother and abusive mother." I pointed out. "Yeah, hell of a story. I don't see you willingly rambling it off."

"Well, when I'm sure it won't be a problem in the future, maybe I'll tell you about it. But unless any of your friends suddenly decide to start a revolution of the dead, I think you're safe when it comes to sharing your past."

"I was never ashamed of anything. I learned how to play emotions, language, even bodies against my targets at a very young age. I can speak nine languages as though all of them were my native one, I know a mix of four martial arts, all of them specified to me personally, I can wound or kill everything I aim at and the majority of that I didn't learn from some guerilla revolution in North Korea as a teenager." I explained. Even though I could say all I want about it, nothing changes the fact thay I am ashamed of a lot more than I care to admit.

"Then why did you catch the eye of the Agency?" He asked.

"You know exactly why. The Agency could tell me to strap a bomb to my chest and I would willingly. You weren't incorrect in your assumptions."

"Speaking of suicide bombs, what about the bomb you mentioned on you earlier?" His voice cracked nervously.

"It's not actually a bomb…." Luciel appeared relieved to hear that. "It's a system of flammable fluids that will release and ignite should the heart rate in my wrist tazer read that I am dead. I will erupt into flames, and it will destroy any ability to identify my body accept for dental records of which I have none available to anyone other than the Agency."

Luciel swallowed and stared forward like a deer in the headlights of his own car. "Why do you do it when you know you'll be in danger. Even as a hacker for Vanderwood, I could never leave my friends with any doubt that I may not come back."

"Because someone has to do it. It's safer for it to be me too. I have no connections other than between governments and within our career field. So there is nobody that should miss me or care that I'm dead." I rationalized. There was no way for me to argue with something so flawless in my mind.

"Yet, you somehow manage to understand and help every victim you encounter when given the chance to talk to them." He pointed out as I stiffened. "You have a talent for espionage and assassination, yet you fail to admit that your biggest talent is in empathy. And caring for those who are under stress no matter how big or small. Your reports from Afghanistan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, China, Vietnam, The U.S, Japan, and even here in South Korea prove my point."

I scowled at him as he smirked with his eyes on the road. "If you ever stopped talking, you'd understand that the people I help are nothing but numbers. I can't afford to let them be anything else."

"Yes, I can't help but get a little suspicious of an agent I've never seen before. And one that is so famous like 733. You've made quite a name for yourself. And I can't say it's a clear name."

"I never tried to clean up my reputation. What people know about me is most likely true even if they only have a little bit if information." The car slowed to a stop outside one of the agency's buildings.

"Myeong, you know for a fact that a person's file can't capture even close to enough. A paragraph is worth a hundred words, a picture is worth a thousand, but a person is worth a trillion." He offered as I stepped out of the car. I turned back to look at him through the closed door, but now rolled down window.

"Then I guess you only need to know a hundred words about me." I shrugged and walked up the stairs.

"How long will you be in Korea?!" he called after me.

"Indefinitely. Until a foreign division needs me for something." I answered, now closing the building door behind me. I took a deep breath, and I climbed the stairs to find a form to fill out my report.

Beginning to feel the aching in my legs from sprinting, I took the elevator to the top floor to find the superior that called me to South Korea in the first place.

"733, back so soon?" he asked behind the desk.

"I have my report Yeong." He snatched it from my hand and traced over the words.

"And the flash drive?"

"In the custody of agent 707 for archiving."

"Your injury?"

"Barely an inconvenience. No need for change in any mission you may have for me." I answered without falter.

Yeong nodded, now placing the report in a file and locking in in a cabinet. "Well done. We don't have any missions lined up, but you are on call. Dismissed."

I turned on my heel and headed out, allowing myself to return to the sleeping area they have for traveling agents. Even though it was near 02:00 the agents there were usually suffering from major jet-lag and knocked out cold or wide awake, or trained to sleep in fifteen to twenty minute increments for constant call. I was the latter and decided that a few minutes of sleep wouldn't hurt if I wanted to be up and ready for anything.

The majority of agents were men. There was really nothing I could do about that, women tended to be a bit more practical and seek more stable and less dangerous jobs. The group of boys playing poker waved to me as I walked past. A couple of guys throwing knives into a thick corkboard and lighting cigarettes nodded in my general direction. Three girls enjoying a round of beers all greeted me with smiles and a couple of polite 'hello's. All to get to my thin mattress in the far corner, where I would love to be unconscious right now.

As I was trained, I slept for about twenty minutes, and woke up again for another twenty, only to fall asleep again and repeat the cycle until I wanted to do something else.

Each time I got up, a few people had changed spots. Faces and activities changed throughout the night as agents slept in their own weird cycles. Every once in a while, someone would come over the intercom and call for an agent by name or number.

You could always tell the type of agent by what they were called by. If they were a secret agent, they would be called by number, since their identities needed to remain secret for the dangerous field jobs they did. If they were called by name, they were a public agent, who never had to do anything absurdly intense like normal FBI agents.

At some point, I decided to shower and change into civilian dress and head out to keep my boredom at bay. I grabbed my pager that they would use to call me should anything be needed of me.

I typed in my number 733 and awaited the message that says I'm officially checked out. The item beeped with the little check mark and I was off.

I headed off to the judo gym first. Now, the agency has a gym and sparring area, but I didn't feel like getting cozy with anyone there. And also wasn't in the mood for any sparring that intense.

The air of the gym was identical to any other stinky place. The ground was padded and worn in some places, the vending machine at the entrance let out a constant, yet comforting hum.

And the best part, was that there were only about five people here. And three of them were small children and the fourth of that area was a teacher. And the last person was a woman. Slightly taller than me and going at it a couple of dummies with some advanced moves.

The woman's hair was cut short and in a lighter shade of brown than mine. She wore a black belt with her uniform. Which was fairly impressive in itself.

I stretched out, and kept my eye on the woman. She managed to pull off some things that even I found rare.

"Hey!" I called after her. Her head quickly turned to me. "You wanna spar?"

She looked around, making sure I was talking to her. "Yeah sure." She nodded with a smile. "I'm Jaehee."

"Myeong." I answered back. "You come around here often?"

"When I'm not working. And I'm working a lot." She answered.

I chuckled. "Tell me about it. But I get enough action with my work, so it's not much of a problem."

"What work do you do?" She asked, getting into position in order to take me down. I reflected the stance and allowed her to attack first. My response was almost as fast as her kick and I had her pinned to the ground in a matter of seconds.

"Personal bodyguard work." I gave a grin. "What work do you do?"

"I'm a personal assistant for a corporate heir." She answered as I attacked again, this time I saw the world spin around me and slammed into my face.

"They wouldn't happen to be looking for a body guard right now would you?" I grunted after she let me go.

"I might have to call you back on that one. We have an agency in mind for his current needs, but if it doesn't fall through, I may contact you." Jaehee helped me up after I had peeled myself off the ground.

We went a few more rounds, making casual conversation, until the beeping in my waistband broke the talk. "Sorry, I have to check that." The message on the small screen read 733 call. Meaning that I was being called in. I pressed the button to notify that I got the message and turned to Jaehee.

"My apologies, I'm being called in. It was nice to meet you, Jaehee."

"I'll be here every week or so around this time if you want to spar again."

A small smile spread across my face. "I'll be in the area for at least a month or two unless something comes up." We gave a friendly wave as we departed and I rushed back to the agency building.

"733, you came quickly."

"That's the idea, sir." I gave a smile back to Vanderwood. He sighed, clearly in some depressed state now that I was displaying some of the sass that 707 often did. "What's the job?"

"Something the Agency hasn't done a lot of. But we are being offered a heafty sum for your services in particular."

"Brief from the beginning." I said.

Yeong nodded and started. "Last night, after you came back, 707 called in to ask if he could recommend your services as a bodyguard to a friend. Vanderwood told him that he may as long as the friend was kept in the dark about your mission details and other restricted information. He agreed and a few hours after that, we received a call from a representative of CR asking about your particular services."

Vanderwood nodded and offered me a file with several different building plans and other information about the client that I would be serving.

"Jumin Han is the man that you will be guarding. Corporate heir to CR and he funds charity parties for a group called the RFA, which we don't know much about since 707 is their security officer." Yeong explained in thorough detail.

"So, I'm doing personal bodyguard work." I shrugged off. "It's been a while. Does he have any specific enemies that I should worry about?"

"Not that was mentioned." Vanderwood piped up. "707 says he simply strives for the best service he can get, and you are the best at what you do."

"How long?"

"Until you are needed for something more urgent or he decides to drop our agency." Crossing his arms, Yeong let out a long sigh.

"Alright!" I snapped the folder shut. "When do I start?"

"Mr. Han scheduled your start and more specific job briefing for early this evening and that you will be his active bodyguard during a banquet tonight. You are dismissed."

I nodded and headed down to the sleeping area to grab what few things I had and headed off to meet my client.

The CR building was one of the tallest in the city. And a few blocks down from it was only slightly taller than it which was supposedly Jumin's apartment building with his penthouse at the top.

The doorman was a rather large fellow that towered over me. If I really needed to, I could take him down in at least four different ways, but he was here to ensure security that I wasn't breaking down.

"Hello sir, I'm here for Mr. Jumin Han. I'm from the bodyguard agency he recently employed." I offered the identification slip that was in the file Yeong and Vanderwood gave me.

"He's expecting you. Ms. Myeong." He opened the door for me and spoke into his radio for the other security officers to not me alarmed at my presence and for one of them to tell Jumin that I was here.

The penthouse was rather open, but no building around it was taller than this one, which gave a beautiful city skyline view of the outside world from the spacious windows.

"Ms. Myeong?" A deep voice called out. The owner of the sound was definitely the corporate heir type. Clean edges and classy style. His description reflected the house and the man in front of me.

"Yes. A pleasure to meet you." I offered politely. He now stood directly in front of me, and towered nearly a foot and a half over me.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but I was not expecting someone quite so small." His voice was cool and collected, as though he didn't have to ponder on his actual statement. Normally, when saying something that could be taken as an insult, one would stammer, or hesitate, but he said what he meant confidently with no ill intent.

"That is an understandable concern. But I am the best at what I do."

I offered a smile as the confident honesty was comforting. One would assume such a thing as honesty would be important to agents like me, but when people are trained to lie perfectly, there is no logical reason to trust.

"Luciel spoke highly of you. He says you are quick and efficient. And you value intellect and progress above all else."

In this job, either he will decide against using our agency or he will be forced to trust me with his precious life. I will either get Jumin killed or I will need to trust that he has a life worth saving.

"707 is quite a wild card, and I am not visually believable. I understand any concerns debating my abilities, and I appreciate your honesty. I am perfect for your needs, so I will let my actions show you exactly how reputable I am."

Jumin seemed to like my answer. "Please take a seat." He offered. "Can you give me a rundown of your abilities?"

I nodded as I took a seat across from him. "I am trained in a mixed style of four different martial arts to be most effective in hand to hand combat. I am an excellent marksman and haven't missed a target, still or moving in years. I am fluent in nine languages, learning more. I am trained in psychology, sociology, strategy, pseudology-"

"You are trained in the art of lying?"

"I work for Luciel's agency, I will admit only that there is a large need for lying, but the majority of pseudology is telling when another is lying." I explained happily. "I am also first aid certified and I can be awoken at any point, no matter what time of day or night, should I be needed."

Jumin relaxed into his chair, crossing his arms over his chest in deep thought. "You definitely are qualified for the job. You speak confidently and what I can tell is honestly. Ms. Myeong, if you are truly as good as you and your reputation read, then why take a job as simple as the one I am offering?"

I caught myself in my mind. I could have easily just said that I wasn't interested in the job. I'm not required to accept every mission or job that comes my way. In fact, if anyone has grounds to reject a job they don't want to do, it's someone with my skill level.

"Because even simple jobs are jobs that need to be done. Just because being your guard is a simple job compared to the ones I normally take, doesn't mean it's unnecessary. It is a simple task needed to achieve a larger goal."

"So this employment is but a small stepping stone to a bigger task for you. What is the greater endeavor you hope to accomplish by completing this one?"

Damn, this guy is a great interviewer. "I am afraid I'm not equipped to explain that to someone in your mindset." I admitted.

"I want you to attempt."

And as I thought about it, I was actually saddened. He forced me to look at the bigger picture of my life, instead of the small ones that made up missions and blank spaces. It's been twelve years since someone has called me by my real name!

"In my line of work, memories have numbers. You are aware that I am an agent like your friend, Luciel Choi, but his work and mine aren't comparable." My voice shrunk slightly as I spoke slower and softer.

"A day is the number of the date. A memory is a mission record number. A person is an identification number. In a job as dangerous as mine you can only focus on getting to the next number."

Jumin simply paid close attention to the words I was saying, egging me on to continue since I was still managing to make sense to him.

"If I try to plan more than one number ahead, I have set myself up for the possibility of fatal loss. By staying in the present number, and focusing only on it's completion, failure and success are just two sides of the same coin and don't have any impact on me or the next number."

I silenced myself, deciding that I gave enough explanation for him to make some kind of sense of it all.

"So you are afraid of disappointing yourself. If you plan to succeed in a small task for a bigger task, but you fail, then it disappoints you that you cannot complete the larger purpose." He clarified for himself.

"By never hoping for success or failure, you have eliminated the possibility of falling short of expectations, since there are no expectations at all…. I think I understand."

I scanned his face for any sign of emotion in that understanding. He was more difficult to read, since he definitely relied more on logic than emotion. Yet there was definitely the hint of curiosity in his eye.

"I want to ask you one more thing, and you don't need to answer it if you believe it is too personal or if you think it is too soon to answer."

I nodded, eagerly awaiting the question.

"Do you want to keep living your life this way? As though you are a mosaic of numbers."

"I…….." the question hit the inside of my stomach like a deep drum. The only time I remember living my life like I wanted something from the future, was when I was a dumb teenager, fighting for change in the craziest ways possible.

I asked the future to give my country freedom and it said 'no'. I just stopped asking the future and stayed away from it.

But what if the future finally had something to give me after I hid from it for so long? Would I miss it because I was still scorned from rejection?

Now I actually have to plan for both scenarios. If I stop what I'm doing, and I get hurt again, I'm right. If I stop what I'm doing and obtain a gift, then I am pleasantly surprised.

If I am right, and get hurt, then I keep living my life with the agency and I continue to be their best agent.

If I get something better than what I have at the agency, then I leave for a superior life.

"Yes. I want to keep living my life like this." Because there isn't a second number. All I have is the current number, nothing to ask for, and no life to go to if I leave the one I have. No chance to create a life that I could love more than I am needed in this one. They made sure of that.

Jumin's eyes scanned my expression and body language. "Allow me to explain the kind of security you will be providing." The clank of the drawer in the side table broke the dreary mood and motioned it to the certainty of Jumin's decision that I was trustworthy.

"I have normal security and bodyguards, but your job is to scan for more subtle threats."

I looked over the contents of the file he handed me. He gave me tons of information on his company and business contacts from around the world. Names, numbers, charts, employees, chain of command, and so much more.

"In the past few days there has been an cyber attack on the messenger that I share with a charity fundraising group called the RFA. It has come to my attention that whoever has struck the messenger may have ill intentions towards the members of the RFA and their information. This is mine, but there are six more members that I need to get clearance to give you. However in order to get your help in this matter, our president has told me to extend an invitation to you."

"Invitation?" My brows furrowed in confusion.

"An invitation for you to join the RFA as a security consultant."


	2. Chapter II Meet the Game

-X- Myeong

"Isn't 707 your security supervisor?"

"As I mentioned earlier, I have normal security and bodyguards. Luciel can maintain security systems and can fight off cyber threats while I can send bodyguards to the member's houses should they feel like they are in immediate danger. But when they are outside their homes and making normal decisions, they are in danger of not noticing and possibly dismissing accurately covered suspicious activity."

"So you want me to be a their everyday firewall." I clarified.

"In a manner of speaking. I would describe your job as a security strategist. You are to obtain information on their well being and on their complaints to me and Luciel about their security needs and strategize how best to solve the problem."

"You find your own strategic planning skills to be lacking?"

"In this aspect, yes. I can't throw guards at every problem. Sometimes there are finer details that I am not equipped nor have the time to attend to. And your job is to find the finer details." He was finally finished with his explanation.

"I understand. So the only uncertainty is if I will accept your invitation."

"Yes. Though I want you to know that joining the RFA is not a simple mission. The RFA was created for friends to use their skills to do some good for the world. If you join, it could get in the way of your other work for the agency."

He notified cautiously. It was becoming clear that he really did believe in my abilities and that he really wanted them.

"I also want you to be aware that to the public, you will be the security supervisor for CR and simply be involved with the RFA like how my assistant and I are to the public. So I will be expecting you to be a working employee of the company as well as this."

"And if I don't accept?"

"Then I would appreciate your services for CR."

"And if I don't want to work for CR?"

"Then I would appreciate your services on my own home."

And that tells me that he really does desire my services, even if it's for something as simple as his home.

"Then I accept your invitation to the RFA."

He offered a small smile and stood up. "Very good. Now, initiation into the RFA is usually easy. As long as you have an invitation and an introductory job to the other members, you are welcome."

I stood up quickly and followed him down the hall and stairs to the garage. "What exactly is an introductory job?"

"Self explanatory." I actually chortled at his simple statement. "All you I need is to be able to introduce you to the other members with the recognition of something they know."

I got into the back of the limousine as he did, but stayed silent, not really understanding what that meant."

"You will be in charge of security for a corporate party thrown by one of CR's business partners. They invited the RFA after they heard that I was affiliated. We are going to the venue for you to give your orders on security positioning." He explained. "And tonight, you will meet the rest of the RFA."

We were let into the venue that was buzzing with people decorating and preparing for guests.

"Mr. Han!" a woman called. I recognized her right away as the woman that I was sparring with just this morning. "Oh! Hello, Myeong."

"Have you two already met?" he asked.

"Oh yes, her and I met at my judo gym just this morning. So you're our security consultant?"

I offered a smile. "Yes. And there are some details about my work that I may have failed to mention this morning."

Her face lit up with recognition immediately. "You're also the agent that Luciel recommended!"

"Yes, I apologize for exempting a lot of a lot of the truth this morning. I'm not usually allowed to speak of my work, so I try to say something as close to the truth as possible." I offered.

Jaehee simply smiled. "It's alright, I understand. I don't even mention Mr. Han's name unless I'm speaking to a business contact."

Jumin took a clipboard from one of the security guards and handed it to me. The paper was a form of all the security orders that I was to give.

"Alright, the pedestrian entrances will be guarded regardless, but what kind of possible assailants would want to do these guests harm? Any guests that has angered a lot of people?"

Jaehee looked over the list that was given to her. "We have a few political officers and three of them have spoken in public."

"So we could be dealing with any number of people that radically disagree with them. Since I didn't know about the party beforehand, I can assume that this gathering is not front page news."

Jumin nodded in my general direction as Jaehee seemed surprised.

"Your technical security is set up well and even if a hacker were to attempt breaking in, the guards would catch them. Now, if we have some politicians here, then we should take into account that the people that could wish them harm are well funded. I want extra precautions taken on the air vents."

Jaehee's eyebrows furrowed I'm confusion. "Why the vents?"

"It's the easiest point if entry. Every time I'm asked to do a stealth mission, the vents are always the least guarded and easy to move through. In a building this big, the passageways will be big enough for a person to get through. I want you to make sure they have precautions on the vents."

The woman nodded and was off to complete the task that was given. With a few more orders, the security was tight and efficiently done.

The party would start in an hour. Jumin lead me back to the car for us to return to his house to prepare for the actual party. To my surprise, he already had a dress for me.

The light blue, frilly, cheongsam style was cute. Not something that I would normally wear, but it was a beautiful piece. Long sleeves, long skirt and a high neckline would certainly be more comfortable than the majority of the dresses I had to wear for work purposes. The chest was open and I soon realized that it might show a part of my tattoo.

I managed to zip the back of the dress up around my back and let out a sigh of relief as the dress covered up everything it needed to.

In most Asian countries, tattoos are viewed as a show of bad character. Only members of criminal organizations have tattoos and especially ones as big as mine. After some other basic preparation for a formal event, we were on our way back into the limousine.

We sat in silence for all but two minutes before Jumin spoke up. "Are you free to answer questions about your work?"

"So long as they aren't specific to any missions I've completed or confidential information. Then there's my preference of not answering personal questions."

"I know that Luciel is not 707's real name, but rather his baptismal name that he made his own for safety reasons. Is Myeong your real name? And if not, why do you have an alias?" Jumin questioned sternly.

I let out a breath before deciding that I could answer his questions. "Myeong is not my real name. I have no reason to hide my real name, other than for personal reasons, since I am not being hunted like some other agents. If you are uncomfortable calling me by a name you know isn't mine, then call me by my agent number 733 until I have a reason to give you my real name."

"So I would have to give you a reason to know your name?"

"Yes" I offered a smile in return. He seemed to smirk at this unfiltered retort.

"Alright, 733. I will find a way to obtain your real name. In the mean time, I think I will ponder on the information that I have."

"And what information is that exactly?"

Jumin let out a small chortle right before the car slowed to a stop and the door opened. "That shade of blue is not your color."

I couldn't help the smile at his joke. While it was completely true, simply saying that it was unflattering would have been easier and he could have brought it up in a bland way. But he managed to make the polite way of saying it sound just as rude as the easy way.

I was not ready for the line of reporters being held back by the railings and flashing camera lights.

"You should also be ready to get a lot of strange press with your face on it. Just be sure not to respond to anything false they say." The taller man instructed as he walked with me through the barrage of flashing lights and chatter of strange questions.

"Jumin Han, is it possible this young lady is a romantic interest for you?" One female reporter asked loudly above the rest.

"Jumin Han! Is this woman a romantic interest or a business partner?!" This time it was a man frantically leaning over the barrier and trying to get his microphone as close to Jumin and I as possible.

Several more reporters asked questions along the lines of being a romantic partner and some even going far enough to suggest that he was sleeping with me. These people have no shame.

Asylum was reached once the doors closed behind us and the whirlwind of words was tuned out and replaced by a calming music.

"You managed to get through them well. You've clearly done that before."

"I've had to accompany many people of high profile. Most of them aren't supposed to make it out of the night alive." I admitted. Jumin's eyes scanned over me, as though I had just confessed to some minor sin, not full out murder.

"Jumin!" a young voice rang out and snatched both of our attentions to the blond boy that had seemed so excited just a second ago. "Oh, who is this?"

"Yoosung, this is our newest member to the RFA, 733."

"I go by Myeong."

"Oh. You're an agent like Luciel! That must be so cool. I'm Yoosung Kim I'm a student." He smiled brightly.

That didn't surprise me, but it did suddenly washed over me that I could have had a normal life once I got out of the North. Not that it depressed me or even made me react, but it was an interesting thought. When I was around his age not even a whole three years ago, I was being trained to be a murder machine

"I'm not that much older than you. What are you majoring in?"

"Trust fund kid." Another man interrupted before Yoosung could answer. And I easily recognized him as the actor Zen.

His red eyes fell on me and immediately changed from slightly annoyed to flirty. It was a change that I had seen all to often and one that I hated.

"And who is this lovely lady?" He bowed with a wink. It suddenly hit me that I wasn't here to be friends with everyone I came into contact with. I could act like myself and since that is a real person, I didn't have to get along with everyone.

"733"

Yoosung seemed to be surprised at how cold my voice suddenly turned and Jumin appeared more amused with the small smile on his face.

Zen seemed to gather that I wasn't here to flirt with him. He slouched as he flinched back. "So cold." All I could thing was "_Ugh. So dramatic_."

"Is Luciel here?" I asked.

Jaehee walked up as Yoosung answered. "He said he had work. And Sung said she had a competition tonight, so I'll have to leave early."

"I was wondering where she went." Zen pondered out loud. The silent.

"I bet you were" in my head nearly made me laugh.

"I should actually get going if I want to catch her. It was nice to meet you, Myeong." Yoosung excused himself hurriedly with a glance at his watch.

"What kind of competition is Sung in?"

"Figure skating. She's actually agreed to compete in the winter Olympics next year with a little bit of financial help from me." Jumin answered.

"Such a shame. I know she could have on her own." Zen piped up, and irked me immediately.

Jumin seemed to understand that I was pissed off, and offered a small pat on the back. Zen didn't seem to notice, but Jaehee appeared like she had just seen me send a tazer through his gut.

I tried not to think much on it, but I would definitely ask about it later. Her expression was not one that I usually find favorable in my line of work.

Zen eventually started talking to Jaehee about some new role he got and I was free to slip away, detected only by Jumin who I was ok with following me.

It didn't take long for a few more people to notice the taller man. He exchanged handshakes, bows, small smiles and polite chatter with all of them.

As though I each interaction had taken a piece of my resolve, I could have fallen asleep standing upright in these deathly heels.

I've had to do much more intricate things in heels twice as horrible as these six inch nightmares, but walking between businessmen and women dressed so nicely and with so many smiles, I thought I was talking to a glass doll collection.

This is so much easier when I'm supposed to be killing someone. Just being friendly and offering a fake grin and a polite conversation without having to gather information is painful. At least when I'm supposed to get information, I know what to talk about. Right now, I have no clue what is and isn't a good topic, because both the people and the topics are all just as useless as the last.

At least until I found someone Jumin wouldn't go near in the slightest. And to my surprise, he wasn't avoiding Jumin.

Once another doll had passed and I had spoke up immediately. "Who is the red suited man on the far side of the room?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"You've been strategically avoiding him all night. Either you have a petty hatred for him, or you know he's bad news. And I've profiled you not to be a petty kind of businessman." He let out a sigh at the assumption.

"He's what I assume to be a high ranking member of the Kkangpae. His name is Hyung Teo. He has tried to threaten both my father and me into giving the Kkangpae a heafty donation."

"Mafia: Korean addition." I chuckled. "Is he still a problem?"

"I can't say. I wouldn't put it past them to be planning something against CR for revenge reasons. The Kkangpae is known to attack anybody that disrespects them like we did."

"Do you want me to find out?"

Jumin's eyes flashed in the direction of Hyung before landing on me again. I tried to decipher his expression to get some insight to his thoughts, but he does a good job of keeping a stone face.

"Yes."

I tried hard to keep the smile off my face, but definitely failed. I was ready to finally do something I wanted.

"Under one condition." He added. My gaze went straight to him in fear that it would be a horrible handicap. "I get to watch you work."


	3. Chapter III Players Choice

-X- Jumin

"Who is the red suited man on the far side of the room?" 733 asked quizzically. The man was clearly bad news if she could tell. But I had no idea what exactly tipped her off, or why her curiosities fell directly on the man that I hadn't particularly been close to.

"Why do want to know?"

733 seemed almost annoyed with the slight slouch in her posture. Actually, not annoyed, more like burdened, as though the answer to my query was obvious.

"You've been strategically avoiding him all night." She gave in. "Either you have a petty hatred for him, or you know he's bad news. And I've profiled you not to be a petty kind of businessman."

Well, she was right. In all the accounts. "He's what I assume to be a high ranking member of the Kkangpae. His name is Hyung Teo. He has tried to threaten both my father and me into giving the Kkangpae a heafty donation."

She looked over to Hyung and seemed to be lost in thought. "Mafia: Korean addition" She let out a laugh. I gave a small laugh in response to her. "Is he still a problem?"

"I can't say. I wouldn't put it past them to be planning something against CR for revenge reasons. The Kkangpae is known to attack anybody that disrespects them like we did."

733 immediately asked as thought she was urgently in need of something to fight off her boredom. "Do you want me to find out?"

I looked up to Hyung to remember exactly what had happened when he came to my office after my father had already turned him down at an event like this one.

Hyun came in after barreling past Assistant Kang and my guards without even pulling a weapon so we could properly tackle him.

I took a look at 733 to asses her abilities. Had she been any other employee, I would have definitely told her to stay far away from Hyung. But she is an agent that knows her way around men like him. She made it very clear that she understood the exact type of man he was, how to slip under his radar and completely and take him down without ever being seen.

"Yes"

A devious smile spread across her face, as though she was a ten year old that had just been given some intense fireworks. I had to admit, the expression she displayed had me curious about her. Perhaps I wanted to see the extent of her abilities or somehow let her show off exactly what kind of hell raiser she really was.

"Under one condition." She seemed to remain cautiously optimistic at my sudden addition. Her dark brown eyes looked suspiciously innocent as she was attempting to lighten whatever annoying elementary rulebook I was about to add to her playground. "I get to watch you work."

733 almost started glowing. She ran her fingers through her stylishly messy deep brown hair.

"And if you could run me through how you work, I would appreciate it."

She turned to the direction of Hyung and started looking him up and down as if she was reading him like a book. "How do we want to go about this? I know you want nothing more than information on him, so that narrows the way I speak to him. I'm trying to get him talking not kill him. I also now know that you want to find out if he is planning anything against you, or your family. I know what to get him talking about in which case, you will being here will do a big help to me." She explained thoroughly.

Hyung was speaking to a man as though he was an ancient friend.

"I want you to look busy for a minute. Look at the bar menu behind us, get on your phone or something. Look busy until I start talking to him. And be sure to call me Myeong, not my agent number. If I tell you to occupy yourself so you appear out of ear shot, do as I say. We can't afford being compromised."

I nodded and started scrolling through my phone. I took a small peak at her to see what she was doing. She had grabbed a drink and was staring directly at Hyung.

"How do you plan to get him to come over?" I didn't look up from the screen below me

"I'm an attractive young woman, I can get any man to come approach me if I look like I want to be approached, especially to a scumbag like him. I'm just singling him out. Hell, if I really tried, I could seduce someone as reluctant as you." She explained.

"Many have tried." I chuckled.

"I've had worse cases than you, Jumin."

I am surprisingly fond of this playful banter between us. I don't know how it started, or how she was just comfortable being like a friend so quickly. 733 managed to nest herself in my side and grow there at an alarming rate. But if it was so alarming, then why did it feel so naturally peaceful?

And just like magic, the man was making his way across the room to greet 733.

"Well hello there. What brings such a lovely lady to this gathering?"

"My employer invited me along. I'm Myeong Kim." She answered so simply. I closed out of my phone and stood up naturally. "Oh Mr. Han, how's the situation?"

"Fine. My father is handling it." I answered. For some reason, her addressing me by my last name was odd. After she had already addressed me by my first, hearing my last was so odd. "Hello, Mr. Teo."

"Ah, Mr. Han. I don't suppose you have reconsidered my proposal?"

"I might bring it up to my father again, but the final decision does not lie with me."

"You two have already met, of course. I guess that comes with being such a big company." She let out a small giggle with a bright smile.

"How long have you been with CR?"

She thought for a minute with her finger on her chin. "Only two months. Mr. Han is a slave driver, though. What kind of business have you done with CR?" She studied his face over the lip of her beverage.

"Ah, well we offered a proposal to do business. We would appreciate his endorsement before we plan anything else, but we can get what we need from other sources if we so desire." Hyung gestured so effortlessly and loosely.

"He can be quite a rude piece of work, I know." She huffed. She flung a piece of hair out of her eye in a flirtatious manner. It was hard to believe that this was the same girl that had so logically broken down what exactly she needed to do. She now appeared like every other annoying woman that thinks that they deserve things from me because they want them.

"Mr. Han is rather difficult to convince, but I'm sure he can see past our differences and reconsider our offer."

I didn't respond. I allowed 733 to continue as she was because she appeared to be getting somewhere with his answers.

"Oh, he can be known to hurt some people's feelings. But such a strong businessman like yourself can't be too heartbroken about it?"

"What is it you do for CR?" He asked.

733 gave another terrifying grin to Hyung. "Security strategy and personal bodyguard work." She answered happily. Hyung's eyes widened a fraction in surprise.

"Well, my boss is known to take things personally, but if such a wonderful lady as you is with CR, I think it would break our hearts more to hold such a petty offense against them." He smirked. His eyes raked down her form as he assessed the worth of her claim, and if she was uncomfortable with it, she hid it well.

She set her glass down and gave a strange expression to me. When 733 looked back at Hyung, she offered a smile. "I believe we need to go, meet with someone right about now. It was nice to meet you Mr. Teo. Excuse us."

I nodded as we both walked away. 733 took one last sip of her drink, but froze for a split second before continuing on. We once again found ourselves at the opposite side of the room where Assistant Kang and Zen had stayed for the majority of the night, but were now in the presence of V.

733 seemed to notice, but quickly went to the trashcan next to the group and spat out the last bit of her drink that I thought she consumed.

"Myeong, are you alright?" Jaehee rushed to be by her side as fast as she was at nearly every task I gave her.

"I'm alright. That was a close one." She coughed into the trashcan and got the last bits of the liquid out.

"Close one for what?" Zen asked.

V looked over at me with concerned eyes past his glasses. That usually meant he wanted to speak with me privately soon about whatever was going on. Which gives a 60% chance that he saw who we were talking to.

"I asked if I could speak to Mr. Teo." She coughed out. Assistant Kang shot a glare at me as if I had just poisoned 733 with someone as foul as Mr. Teo.

A light came on in my head as soon as I put some thought into it. He had poisoned her drink. At some point, he had put something in her drink. Most likely when she set it down for a minute to communicate something to me.

Which I feel responsible for. If I had simply said "no" to her question, I could have avoided her being put in such danger.

733 got up and took a deep breath. "Well, I think that's about as much fun as I can find tonight." To her credit, she seemed to be taking it rather well. Then again, that was probably not the most dangerous thing she has ever done.

She and V exchanged greetings before I decided to take 733 back to the apartment I had bought out for her purposes of being a guard in my home.

"You will be staying in the apartment directly below my home. I had them install easy access from your place to mine through a staircase and a door that only you and I have keys to." I explained. She walked into her new place and appeared intensely impressed at the status of it all.

"Wow. This is a major upgrade."

"Where do you usually sleep when you do long term missions?"

"Depends on my mission. Sometimes I need to be close to someone of power, other times I simply camp out in the elements with whatever I can find. But they usually average out to some ghetto motel." She answered. She was exasperated by the open window over the city. The lights of the city looked like the stars had been taken out of the sky and put on the ground below.

The emotion on her face was much like a small child watching a magic show for the first time. A brief smile and the sparkle of the streets reflected in her eyes.

It dawned on me that I was watching her very closely. I was curious about how someone like her sees the world. While I admit that city lights are aesthetically pleasing, she expressed as though she had never seen something so beautiful.

"This is the first time I've been in South Korea in a very long time. It's like… I'm home. Other places are pretty, but this place is home. It feels safe." She mumbled to herself. I heard it as though it was meant for me.

"Why do you want to keep living your life the way you do?" I questioned. She seemed in a peaceful enough mind to answer.

She looked down at her feet and kicked off the high heels that she had been wearing. She was so small, it was difficult to believe she was so dangerous.

"I can't leave." Her voice turned sad and almost broken. "There's nothing for me outside of the agency. And no way I can create a life that means more to me. There's only one thing that could mean more to me than the work I do, and I can't ever obtain it."

"Why can't you?"

"Because they made sure it was physically impossible." She closed the blinds to the window and picked up her heels. "Goodnight, Jumin."

She walked off into the direction of the bedroom. I let out a sigh and left the apartment, to go get some sleep myself.

-X- Myeong

I took the dress off and got into the sweatpants that were already in the room. The CR logo on these ones and some sports team logos on others there were some other clothes already put here. Most of them for going out in public with Jumin. Things like pantsuits and skirts and dresses. All ranging in the greyscale. This was most likely put together by Jaehee with all my physical information from the agency.

There was a lot of exercise wear that I greatly appreciated and the armored full body suit that the agency gave to all its field agents for more dire situations. Should I get the chance to get into it before a major battle.

I put on a camisole and decided that was enough to sleep in and do rounds in about twenty minutes after I have fallen asleep.

The laundry basket sized black box in the closet showed my number on it proudly. Upon opening it, I found an organized display if weapons issued by them in this mission.

Two handguns, a dozen boxes of 1000 rounds of ammunition, two tazers that could be fashioned around my wrists, eight clips for the guns, a wide arrangement of knives for different ranges of battle, a dozen viles of poison to be put on the blades or used in more discreet uses, and enough holsters to hold everything at once if needed in various different places on my body.

Not a bad selection for an mission under no particular threat. But if Jumin threw a lot of money up, they must have figured that I best be ready for anything.

I took two talon knifes and a couple push daggers to fill a thigh holster. I wrapped the belt around my leg and headed to bed. Attacks will usually happen when you are least suspecting it. Sleep is not a right, your enemy will use it against you. That was one of the trainings drilled into my skull. Always go to sleep with a weapon. Was the one that accompanied the first.

I managed to drift off into a dreamless sleep, if I allow myself to dream, they would surely be nightmares.

Waking up again was always as pointless as falling asleep. Necessary, but never sought after. I took in my surroundings. Nothing suspicious.

Getting out of bed, I padded my bare feet over to the door Jumin had mentioned. Unlocking it, I practically floated up the stairs silently, hoping not to disturb Jumin or any of the guards that worked the night shift at the apartment complex.

I looked around his penthouse, checking to make sure everything was functional and safe. The nights were always long when you have no human sleep schedule. Mine was probably closer to a cat's.

"_Mreow_" I flinched at the sudden noise, but quickly relaxed as it was just an adorable cat. She purred against my foot and brushed against my leg as though I was someone she already knew. It was as though the cat singlehandedly broke all cognitive thought and just turned my brain to the barest of functions. Fluffy thing needs pets

I found myself picking up the kitty and resting it in my arms like a baby. She continued to purr and nuzzle herself into my arms. I took a look at the tag on her collar. Elizabeth III. It was such a Jumin thing to have a fluffy kitty with an elegant name like Elizabeth III. The white Persian cat had soon fallen asleep in my arms, peacefully purring. When I moved, she stirred. Objective 1: Do security checks. Objective 1: Complete. Objective 2: Let the cat sleep, and don't wake her.

I gently made my way over to the couch and laid down so she wouldn't be disturbed. Elizabeth stretched and then curled up on my chest. Well…. Looks like I'm not getting up for a while. The cat kept breathing softly and sleeping heavily and I soon found myself falling asleep as well.

Throughout the night, I would wake up to find Elizabeth in a new position on my torso, but still sleeping. I woke up again somewhere around 5 am to see her stretching and getting up to leave me. I got up as soon as she left and went back to my apartment to get ready for the day.

I exited the apartment to go up to Jumin's place again where I found him speaking to a guard about someone at the door. The bodyguard looked to me since I was already prepared to leave whenever Jumin did. The suit I was in was basically the same as what all the security staff here wore. White shirt, black pants, jacket and tie.

Jumin told the guard to tell whoever it was at the door to wait until he was in his office before turning to me and dismissing the guard. "You sleep well?"

"Surprisingly well." I answered. The same loud meow broke through that had last night as Elizabeth trotted up to me and rubbed her face against my leg again.

"That's odd. She's usually more cautious around new people." He noted.

"I met her last night when I was doing rounds. She is simply adorable." I practically squealed as I knelt down to scratch her head.

"You like cats?"

"I love them. She's such a cute little sweetie." I admitted, completely loosing myself in petting the fluffy kitty as she purred loudly.

It took me nearly a whole minute before I realized that I was loosing my professionalism, the more I pet her. And I hate to admit that for a second, I didn't care. I stood up straight and regained my composure. "Sorry. Shall we be going now?"

"Do you have a gun?" he asked.

"Not on me at the moment. I don't usually carry unless I know I'll be using it. In every other case, I carry several different blades and a tazer or two. Why? You think I'll need it?"

"No. I know Luciel usually carries a knife, I was just wondering what you have." He said. "That and you appear to be completely unarmed by my observation."

"That's the idea." I gave a smile. Jumin took in a quick breath of air, like he had just remembered something important.

"This is for you." He pulled a smart phone box out of his jacket and offered it to me. "Luciel has programmed this one with special security features since your situation is more risky than most of the other members. The chatroom has already been installed along with a profile that you can edit at your leisure. Anything else you put on it will go through Luciel and nobody else, just to be sure that your information is safe."

I opened up the phone as we began heading toward the car. I put it away as soon as we entered the car and began to drive. I stared our the window, watching as the windows zoomed by one after another in an orderly fashion, as though they were waiting in line to swipe past my line of sight.

"Do you mind if I ask about something I observed last night? There were a few things that captured my interest." He began politely.

"Ask away." I turned to face him now that we were conversing.

"You reacted rather coldly to Zen. Even he recognized that your reaction to him was unfavorable. Is there any particular reason for that?"

I nodded with a small sigh. "Zen brutally reminds me of every man I've ever had to be acquainted with through work. Whether I'm supposed to be working with them or against them, his type is one that I despise."

"And what type would that be exactly?"

"Zen is one that puts his own conquests above all else. In case you probably haven't noticed, which you probably have, he flirts with just about anything that remotely resembles a female. Tell me, when Sung entered the RFA, did he flirt with her?" I asked accusingly.

Jumin recalled into his memory before answering. "Yes that would be correct. But why exactly do you meet so many people like him at work?"

"Anybody that flatters another that much wants something from you. Whether it be information, attention or even affection, if you notice how much it annoys you, you don't want to give up whatever they want. Zen wants attention, I'd much rather keep my eyes on doing my job." I huffed, letting annoyance show through my expression too freely for any ordinary mission.

I'm not allowed to show emotion. It takes away my credibility and can give too much information to whoever wants it out of me. With Zen or 707, even Jaehee, I do as good of a job as I always do. But with Jumin, it's almost like he makes me want to show him the human parts of me. Parts that I was certain had been abolished through eight years of beating a blank face into everything I had ever felt.

"You don't like giving up information?"

"Giving up information is how you fail a mission."

"Yet, your always so eager to share with me." His comment caught me off guard. He was right, I always gave up information to him. Jumin was like a safe space. He asked questions that I had answers to, but also questions that I had to dig up painful explanations to. But none of that explained the answer to one crucial question. "Why him?" Why was Jumin the one that was so easy to speak to? What made Jumin the perfect reciprocator?

"I don't know why."

The car halted to a stop outside of the CR building. When we got to his office, he already had a space that Jaehee and I would share. The space in his office next to Jaehee was big enough to be comfortable and talk to both Jumin and her easily.

"Good morning, Mr. Han, Myeong." She gave a Stern business look as she rattled off what tasks needed to be completed by today and what I needed to do.

She gave me a brief walkthrough of how to use the specific phone on my desk since mine seemed to have a red light on it that would go off for security emergencies. The one flash was someone coming for Jumin, two was for a building threat, and three was a contact from 707, which usually meant a cyber attack or uncertain threat.

I took a couple of files and started working on security details for CR. I opened my work where I was supposed to enter orders and numbers. The other thing I opened was a video game that I would always open when I had the chance to be on a computer for a long amount of time. The sweet world of LOLOL. My life was pretty crazy as is, so normal FPS games bore me. But LOLOL was like all of my life, plus wizards. I had finished the majority of it, when I finally had the chance to take a break.

I opened the messenger and logged into the chatroom.

_733 has entered the chatroom_

_Yoosung: when's your next competition?_

_Sung: I have another one in a week._

_Zen: Oh hello, Myeong._

I rolled my eyes as Zen seemed to be the first to respond_._

_Me: Hello, Yoosung. And Sung. I don't think I had the chance to meet you last night._

_Sung: oh yeah. I had a competition last night. I would still love to meet you._

_Me: Me too. I see Jumin is online._

_Zen: *startled* he is?!?!!_

_Jumin Han: Shh was hiding._

I actually laughed out loud.

_Me: Sorry I guess you've been compromised._

_Jumin Han: don't worry. I was just in the middle of an experiment, guess I found out pretty quickly._

_Yoosung: *confused* experiment?_

_Jumin Han: How long it would take before Zen freaked out about my presence._

_Me: Does he often freak out?_

_Jumin Han: It was almost a whole two hours._

_Me: How long have you been in the chatroom?!_

_Jumin Han: Almost a whole two hours._

_Yoosung: Aren't you at work?_

_Jumin Han: I can do both. Much like how 733 has been playing a computer game and has almost finished everything for the day._

_Me: HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?!!?!_

_I looked up to Jumin across the room, who also had his phone in front of him. He gave a small smirk in my direction._

_Me: You know what, I already know._

_Zen: Well, I need to go. You guys have fun._

_Yoosung: I should get going to. Class starts in a few._

_Sung: Bye, Yoosung. Bye, Zen._

_Zen has left the chatroom_

_Yoosung has left the chatroom._

_Jumin Han: Don't worry too much about the game, 733. So long as you get your work done, I don't need to worry about what you do in between._

_Me: Thank you, Jumin. I would however appreciate if you didn't tell anyone at the agency about this. I have many people there will have my head for something like this._

_Jumin Han: You have my word. Should you worry about Luciel telling? He will eventually see this._

_Me: I have enough dirt on 707 to get him to keep quiet about literally anything. He won't tell a soul at the agency._

_Jumin Han: Given Luciel's certain personality, that makes sense. I must go. I hope you can finish your work in peace. Assistant Kang should be back soon. She'll be working on the coffee shop project for a while._

_Me: Thank you, Jumin. Good luck with your work today as well. I'll see you soon._

_Jumin Han has left the Chatroom_

I logged out of the chatroom as well and sat down my phone. I strolled through completing a few of the documents and I sat back on my chair, glancing over at Jumin. That was when the singular red flash from my office phone's security warning went off.

"Both of you, get down now!" I yanked my tazer out of my jacket and aimed it directly at the door. Two men burst through the door and I managed to get one with the tazer that fell to the ground, tensed up and seizing violently. The second was shocked for only a split second and aimed a gun at me.

I attempted to move quickly and Pulling the gun free from his hand, but when he dropped it, he pulled a buck knife. I now held a push dagger, pulled from my sleeve and swiped at him, eagerly. His expert hand with his own blade swiped and attempted to stab me, yet I was just barely fast enough to dodge and only get cut on my forearm.

I swiped his feet out from under him and used the electronic pulse in my wrist weapon to paralyze him. The two men on the ground didn't move anymore and I was left calling the other security guards to find out what happened.

"When the two guards at the door tried to tackle them, they were shot. The guards are now on their way to the hospital."

"Was anyone else hurt?" I asked with a growl.

"No, ma'am. They threatened them with the firearm and moved to Mr. Han's office without stopping." He spoke through my ear piece as I handcuffed them and got them in a safe area until the police arrived.

"Were they the only attackers?"

"We don't know. They are the only known perpetrators." He answered.

"Good. I'll be escorting Jumin and Jaehee home. Until this investigation comes to a close, we need this building secured." I ordered the officer on the ground floor. "Jumin, Jaehee. Please come with me."

The two of them followed closely as I made sure there were no more threats.

"Jumin, I hope you don't mind, but Jaehee's going to be staying at my place until we are certain her life isn't in danger anymore." We got into the car as Jumin was saying something about how it was fine by him.

"733, do you have any idea what's going on?" Jumin asked.

Jaehee looked to me with a terrified expression on her face. I thought on the question, trying to come up with an answer.

"I don't know exactly. But my best bet it that Mr. Teo wants to make sure you know he's still a threat. But I can't be sure if he's after CR or if he's after the RFA. Because all three of us are members of the RFA, and all three of us are big CR workers. Or this could be your hacker issue getting wildly out if control."

"I'll ask Luciel if he's dealt with the hacker recently. It may help give us a lead on what our attacker wants." Jumin opened his phone and sent the message while we headed into the building where we both lived.

Jumin sat down and immediately went to the chatroom on his phone. I lead Jaehee to my apartment. She seemed a little out of it, or still in shock.

She sat down on the couch, trying to gain some of her composure back. "Jaehee, are you alright?"

She took a deep breath. "Yes. I'll be ok. That was just a bit scary."

I nodded with a warm smile. "It was. There's nothing wrong about being scared in a situation like that. It's natural to fear."

"But you weren't scared at all." She pointed out. "You ran up to a man with a gun like it was made of plastic."

"That takes years of learning how to pick and choose which survival instincts I adhere to. It's a much more terrifying process than I care to admit." I explained calmly. Talking to just about anyone suffering from a shock is like talking to young children. But it's much easier to speak to adults that know exactly what's at stake.

"Why can't I be like that? I know how to fight, but the second I was under the desk, I froze."

"You don't want to be like me. For a normal person who doesn't confront people for a living, finding out how to get away or keep yourself safe is better. The only reason I fight, is because that's my job. Figuring out how to ignore your emotions bleeds into your life in horrible ways, and that's not something I would wish upon my enemies, especially not you."

Jaehee seemed to calm down a bit. "Then can I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"If you know that your work tortures you, then why do it?"

I took a deep breath with a sad smile. "Because it's all I have. And all I can afford. If I were to quit, then I would loose my entire way of life."

"Why not change your way of life, if it hurts so much?" she asked, probably not realizing just how deep she was asking me to pull. I had answered a similar question for Jumin, but his was just why I only thought one number ahead and if I wanted to change it. Jaehee took it one step deeper and asked why.

"Because….. I have nothing to go to. If I leave my life at the agency, I need to have something to fall back on. Otherwise they won't let me leave."

"Are you even looking for a way out?"

"No." I answered

Jaehee nodded in understanding. "If your not looking, I hope something better finds you."

I hadn't even considered that something better might come up. What could possibly offer itself in exchange for my lifestyle. Well, there's a lot of things, and surprisingly, a lot of them lead back to Jumin. The RFA, CR and just taking the chances he gave me.

But it wasn't enough. A simply career change doesn't count as enough of a reason to leave the agency. There were a couple ways to leave the agency without any strings attached; a sworn oath not to take agent work and to live in hiding for three years, a direct offer from the government of South Korea, Japan, The US, or The UK, or to get married.

I could never retire from agent work, and to live in hiding sucks, as I know from experience, I am kept secret from every government and I go where the agency says I am needed. And being married is a welcome option for me, but I don't have a romantic interest in anyone right now and there are a few reasons that I wouldn't be wanted by someone who wants a family as much as I do.

_733 has entered the chatroom_

_Yoosung: Myeong! You're here, is everything ok?_

_Me: Everything is fine. Nobody was injured._

_Jumin Han: Accept for the two men that you took care of. They aren't having such an easy night._

_707: Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if she put them in the hospital._

_Zen: It's all over the news. They're saying that she took out both attackers single-handedly._

_Yoosung: SINGLE-HANDEDLY?!!?!_

_Jaehee: I was surprised too._

_Me: Did ALL of you see it on the news?_

_707: My maid saw it on the news and called me over to see it._

I suddenly remembered that he called Vanderwood his maid when in front of the RFA, and that made me a little more uneasy than I care to admit. While to higher ups, it would just look like me doing my job, to Vanderwood, he would know I did something stupid that got my client attacked. That is a conversation i am not looking forward to.

_Me: Oh boy…_

_Yoosung: What is it?_

_Me: Nothing, don't worry about it._

_Yoosung: Alright. I'll trust you._

_Jumin Han: 733, is it safe to say that this incident will only go as far as CR?_

_Me: I can't say for sure. 707, I want you to look through as many records as you can get on case 37-c-9_

_707: *shocked* But, that one's been closed for nearly a whole decade!_

_Me: My job is to keep the RFA safe as it is yours too. I believe this case can give us some insight on the attack at CR today._

_707: UUUUGGGHHG. FINE! What exactly am I looking for in this case file?_

_Me: find anything that could lead to the resemblance of a desire to hurt or manipulate organizations like the RFA or CR._

_707: That's a long file, so I'll have to start now. Bye guys!_

_707 has left the chatroom_

_Jaehee: What exactly is this file?_

_Yoosung: Yeah, that's what I want to know!_

_Me: It's a case that was left unsolved by the agency that 707 and I work for. 37 is the 37th country in the database, South Korea, c is case type c, mafia related violence and 9 is for the 9th case of that type in this country. Or in this case, the 9th case of the the Kkangpae._

_Zen: THE KKANGPAE ATTACKED CR??!?!_

_Me: I don't have any evidence, but it is a likely. I will suggest that Jumin send bodyguards to everyone in the RFA until we are certain that they are not after any of you._

_Jumin Han: I'll see to it immediately_

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

_Yoosung: Bodyguards again? *Sigh*_

_Zen: I'll take bodyguards any day over meeting a Kkangpae enforcer._

_Jaehee: We can't let this bring us down. The RFA has dealt with worse things._

_Yoosung: We still haven't resolved the hacker issue that brought Sung to us._

_Zen: Yeah, but we are all thankful we haven't had any horrible things happen because of that._

_Me: Yeah, I need to talk to him about that later, but since it's not a major issue, we need to focus on what's at hand._

_Zen: Besides, Jaehee's right. The RFA has been through a lot. And whether it's Rika bringing us together, Sung bringing us back together or Myeong keeping us together, we can handle it._

_Yoosung: Yes, that is a good point. Oh, Sung just got home from practice. I'll tell her what's going on. Bye guys. *Smile*_

_Yoosung has left the chatroom_

_Jaehee: Hey, Myeong, do you have any food in your apartment?_

_Me: I haven't really gone shopping and I think Jumin's been sending me food because I keep finding things that I didn't buy. I think I have some stuff in my fridge. Or you can call up Jumin to ask if he can find you something more nutritious._

_Jaehee: Thank you, Myeong. I'll be heading off now._

_Zen: Bye, Jaehee._

_Jaehee: Bye. *Smile*_

_Jaehee has left the chatroom._

_Zen: I've been meaning to ask you a question._

_Me: What do you want, Zen?_

_Zen: I don't mean any offense when I sat that you don't look like the type of girl to be risking her life everyday. And honestly, after reading what Jaehee said, it kinda makes me worry about you._

_Me: What's your point here?_

_Zen: I'm trying to ask if you ever thought that maybe there was something more that you wanted out of your life?_

_Me: I live the way I do, because I have nothing else to go to. The agency is not very happy about people that leave._

_Zen: I'm not an expert on that. But it's clear you don't like living the way you do, regardless of your job. Maybe looking for something better isn't a bad idea._

_Me: Zen…. I know you mean well, but the agency is not something you can just walk away from. At least, not in my division. Finding something better would be pointless if I don't have a way to walk away._

_Zen: If you had the chance, would you leave?_

_Me: ….._

I thought back to everything. Jumin had asked me if I wanted to keep living the way I did. I said yes. Jaehee asked me if I was even looking for a way out. I said no.

Yet through hell after I had clearly told Jumin that I didn't like Zen, here he was making sense. If I had the chance…

_Me: If the chance was there… I'd take it._

_733 has left the chatroom._

I clicked out of the messenger and went back to where Zen had said Jaehee said something about me. She really just said in less emotional detail what I had told her.

I left the room to see that Jaehee was washing her dishes.

"Hello, Myeong." She greeted happily. I nodded in her general direction. She seemed to notice something before setting the plate away. "Is something wrong?"

"Hmm?" My gaze turned up to her. "No, I'm fine." I answered. The truth was something different, but I honestly can't tell what it is right now. "I believe the guest room has been set up. Feel free to do anything you want, just don't go into my room."

Jaehee nodded a "Thank you" and she went to the room. I let out a deep breath, trying to think through exactly what I'm doing.

That question had never been asked. Part of me was angry that since I've come here, all people have done is second guess my desire to be in my profession. But the truth is that my answer has always been that I've done it because I can't leave.

But if the chance were there, I would leave in a heartbeat. But the problem was with what the chance was. Which other the three requirements would present themselves? I don't want to live in hiding, I might be ok with living in a new country, and if I suddenly could get married, I would most likely take it, so long as the guy wasn't an asshole.

But a chance wouldn't come, so there was no point in wondering so much. I sighed and went to up to Jumin's apartment. His area is much more open, I need to make sure it's secure.

Elizabeth III was waiting for me when at the top of the stairs. I chuckled and scooped her up as I went, petting her as I walked and did the checks.

"Well, she seems to like you a lot." Jumin looked up from his phone as he sat on the couch.

"It's because she's adorable and I appreciate it without strangling her." I reasoned. Elizabeth started to struggle slightly, so I set her down on the ground.

Jumin let a small smile show on his face as he gave the cat a small scratch on the head. "You feeling alright?"

"I'm just confused I guess." It didn't go unnoticed by me that when Jaehee asked, I didn't answer truthfully. But telling the truth to Jumin was like second nature.

"About what you said to Zen, right?"

I sat down on the couch next to him with enough space between us to be considered comfortable. "Yeah. You asked me if I wanted to keep living like this, and I answered truthfully. Jaehee asked if I was looking for a way out and I answered that honestly as well. I answered him honestly too, but I'm just confused about if I should even be worried about a chance."

"Do you think the chance will come up?"

"I don't know. I've been with the agency for eight years, and I've never seen anything that could resemble a way out. For some reason, this job feels different."

Jumin was quiet for a minute. "What would count as a chance to leave the agency?"

"There are three ways to leave the agency. One is to swear an oath to never do agent work again and live in hiding for Three years, and I really can't swear off of it or live in hiding. Two is to get an urgent calling from one of our base country's governments, I would be for that, but it depends on the country. And the last way is to get married, which I'm all for, but it seems like one of those options that is difficult to come across."

Jumin thought over the options. "Maybe you just need to keep an eye out for these choices. I'm not saying you'll find love in the RFA or CR, but let's just say the there are some easily seen ties to romantic relationships in the RFA."

"How so?"

Jumin have something like a small laugh, but his face was just as kindly stoic as it always was. "My friend, V's fiancé started the RFA. Her name was Rika, as I'm sure you've noticed. She passed away, but it was like her spirit came back in the hacker attack. Sung came to us in suspicious circumstances, but we all started to like her. She and Yoosung became very close and they're dating now. My point is that it always seems to be a common theme there. So don't give up hope."

Suddenly what Zen said came back to mind. "_Whether it's Rika bringing us together, Sung bringing us back together or Myeong keeping us together, we can handle it._"

"They do seem to keep hope up through some wild scenarios."

"Yes, they do." He answered simply. "I think you and Sung should talk. She was our newest member before you and she does the most with each member individually. If you want to know the other members well, talk to her."

I nodded. "You always seem to be the one that makes sense. But then again, I haven't really talked to V much."

"Its alright, he'll talk to you soon. He's just busy a lot. But yes. Luciel, Yoosung, Zen and Sung can sometimes be a rather nonsensical bunch. But I promise that Assistant Kang, V and I keep out heads on straight most of the time. But be careful of me, I'm a troublesome man."

I actually laughed. It was clearly a joke and considering how high Jumin's standards were for himself, it was actually hilarious. Jumin looked like a smug little bastard, which made me laugh even more.

"You'd be surprised how many people wouldn't notice that was a joke." He gave a slightly wider smile.

"They're not paying enough attention." I assured. My laughter died out as a sudden thought came to me. "Hey, Jumin. Why did you hire me specifically? There are about a hundred agents that could fill my place."

"I didn't need a hundred agents." He joked. I laughed again, but tried to show him it was a serious question. He seemed to think over his answer. "V mentioned that since the hacker attack and the hacking of a bomb in Rika's apartment where Sung was staying at the time, that we needed someone that could properly asses a situation like that. Since Luciel's countermeasures had failed." He explained.

I listened carefully on what exactly had lead to me coming here.

"Luciel was more than happy to share the safety aspects with someone that he trusted. Him having do both classified information and safety was difficult on him. But Luciel quickly clarified that he would only give that job to someone that could be trusted. And V agreed, but neither of them really knew anyone that could be trusted with such a task. But of course Luciel had some kind of legend to share."

"A legend?"

"You. He said there was an agent from his work that he would trust with the job, but they would be difficult to find. The best agent in the defense line of work. The next time he logged into the chatroom, he said he had a stroke of luck, that this agent would be meeting with him soon."

"Oh,37-b-8" I placed the memory.

"Yes. After a while he told me to contact the agency to hire you for CR and to offer you a place with the RFA. V put me in charge of seeing whether you were trustworthy or not."

"Then what made you believe I was trustworthy?"

Jumin's barest smile showed on his face. "Because you proved that despite your work, you didn't hide emotions behind a mask. I've met a few of the agents that Luciel works with, usually by accident. But every single one of them, including Luciel, don't let themselves show their vulnerabilities or shame. For some reason, you don't hide."

I don't hide? That caught me off guard. Because I hide plenty. Oh. That's why… "I hate to burst your bubble, Jumin…" He quickly straightened up and listened closely. "But I hide plenty. Everyone has a sob story and just about every agent has a troubled past, so I never felt ashamed of it or scarred by it. But the things that I am ashamed of and the things that leave me vulnerable are less obvious. They are just as damning, though."

Jumin didn't make another sound. Instead he placed his hand on my head in a comforting manner. "The fact that you shared that with me, only proves my point." Swiftly, he stood and began to leave the room. "I tried it, by the way."

"Tried what?"

"Focusing on only the task in front of me. Or 'Thinking of the current number only' as you put it."

"And?"

"It's fine for smaller tasks or jobs with no real weight. But the second you take something that leaves more pressing things at stake, it's terrifying." He explained. "I don't know how you do that when there are many lives at stake. Including your own."

Jumin retreated to his room without another word. I went back downstairs to find Jaehee on the couch watching the news.

"_The attackers are in custody, but refuse to talk. Chairman Han of CR has stated that it the security guards have told him that the two attackers went directly for his son, Jumin Han's, office. Thankfully, according to security, CR's Head of Defense was working in the office with Mr. Han and his assistant and was able to take them both down. Stay tu-_" I shut off the TV.

Jaehee's attention snapped back to me. "Are you ok?" She asked kindly. She had found some of the pajamas that were in the closed that Jumin had apparently left there.

"I just realized that my fellow agents are going to have a field day with this again." I groaned.

"What do you mean?"

"Stories among agents get passed around like legends. In fact it's what let 707 know about me. This is just another record of something I'm going to be talked about for."

"Yeah, I heard Mr. Han telling you about that. I don't know much about agent life, but I know plenty about how rumors can get passed around. That and I noticed something peculiar when you two were talking."

"Eavesdropping now, eh?" I joked. Jaehee got flustered and turned pink. "Don't worry about it. I'm not mad and Jumin doesn't take things very personally, from what I can tell. What did you notice?"

"Well… I noticed that you are on the exact same rank as me in the CR chain of command. You are an employee that works directly under him, yet Mr. Han let's you call him by his first name."

Well, yes that was right. "Is that unusual for him?"

"Very. He's never, in his entire history of being an employer, allowed his employees to call him by his first name. somehow, it's like he prefers you to address him that way."

Jaehee raised a fair point. "I'll ask him about it."

"Oh no! I couldn't ask you to do that!" She frantically declared.

"Jaehee, it's fine. Jumin appreciates clear honesty. If I ask him, I'm sure he'll be happy to share that."

"I know he appreciates it, but isn't it rude? I mean he's clearly given you a privilege. Why risk loosing it?"

"Because it's not a risk." I laughed. "I understand if you feel like you shouldn't say such things to him, but we've proven that I'm not in the same boat. Jumin might not look it, but if there's one thing I've learned, is that he's a very simply guy and he strives to share as much knowledge as he can. Whether it's getting it himself, or giving it, he enjoys curiosity even if it appears meaningless."

"I've never known him to deal with meaningless things." She stated.

"Yes, but I said things that appear to be meaningless. In his mind, knowledge, no matter how irrelevant, is worth it."

Jaehee looked to her hands in her lap. "You know, I've worked with Mr. Han for over two years, and I've never been able to figure him out. He has such a deadpan sense of humor, he has a protractor for a head, and for a while, I thought he was gay because he never had any sort of female romantic interest. But you've worked with him for about half a week and suddenly you understand him better than anyone in the RFA or even his own father."

"Do you think there's a reason for that?"

Looking up, she shook her head. "I think I'll have to watch for a bit longer before I have any theories."

I shrugged and took a look at the clock. It was getting rather late and I knew it would be a rough day tomorrow. "You should probably get some sleep. Jumin will probably be asked to be interviewed at some point tomorrow."

"They're going to ask to speak with you too. If they ask Mr. Han, then they'll want details on you too."

"I trust him enough to keep certain things to himself. You know as well as I do, that he couldn't bring himself to do something that might hurt anyone." Jaehee nodded in response.

"I think I will get to sleep now. Goodnight, Myeong."

"Goodnight, Jaehee."

AN: So sorry this one took a while. I had to make sure I had everything right. sorry fot the last two chapters.

For some reason, when I move my chapter from the document to here I loose _Italics _and "CR" changes to "CR" so I had to edit everything.

Also, halfway through I realized that I accidentally changed the case number from "37-b-8" to simething completely different that changed the whole filing system.

That and about a quarter of the way through this chapter, I realized that I accidentally started writing in Russian for a few paragraphs, so I had to translate those back into English.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this especially long chapter to make up for my absence. Im trying ti build up the trust between Jumin and Myeong enough for a specific event in the story, so bare with me.

hope you enjoy the next chapter that I should have out next week.

-Tobi Palace


	4. Chapter IV Fear the Recoil

After a few hours, I fell asleep and woke up several times. Once again, I had to check if everything was alright in Jumin's house. Yet once again, everything was fine. I stopped at the window, few lights in the buildings around us were off, but the cars several stories below me were still going strong like it wasn't even two a.m.

"Meow" Elizabeth III brushed against my leg again. I let out a breath and picked her up and laid down on the couch again, only to repeat what had happened last night.

-X- Jumin

Another morning going past as though nothing had happened last night. Several messages on my phone from both my father and other executives of the company. And of course, there was even an invitation from a news channel asking if I would do an interview to talk about what had happened. I'll ask 733 if she can give a more detailed testimony of yesterday.

Grabbing a mug of coffee and heading toward the couch to answer all the messages I got last night, I realized that this normal routine had been suddenly halted. And I couldn't let this go past without taking a picture of it.

Elizabeth III had fallen asleep in the couch with a companion. 733 sleeping on my couch with my cat on her chest. I took a picture that came out rather well with no blur or shake. Elizabeth woke gently and stretched before hopping off her perch.

However, 733 stayed asleep. Well, I can't just leave her here. "733, time to wake up." She shot up, frantically looking around her as though she didn't know where she was. And then her face turned bright red.

"I am so sorry, I thought I would have woken up nearly ten minutes ago." She stood up and kept her eyes on everything accept me.

"Don't worry about it, I'd probably do the same if Elizabeth were sleeping like that." I assured her. "Either way, I'm impressed. She seems to trust you easily."

She nodded. "She's a cat, Jumin. Cats and people are very easy to understand. You'd be surprised how alike all lifeforms are."

"Oh, really? How so?" I asked.

"You want me to tell you how alike cats are to people?"

"I believe that is what I asked." I sat down on the couch and took a sip of my coffee.

"Well… I guess it's all in how you give things. With cats it's as easy as giving food or petting them. With people, usually it's closer to giving services. If you want someone to trust you, make them believe they're getting a service from you that is otherwise rare to get." She explained, pulling a small blade from her thigh holster and sharpening it with a small stone.

"Really? As easy as that, huh?"

Suddenly, she stopped. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You think I didn't notice? Everyone that works for you calls you 'Mr.Han.' Yet for some reason, you've let me address you by your first name, Jumin." She gave me a side glare that was completely smug.

"You think so? Well, I guess I have." I sipped from the mug again, not paying her much attention.

"So why?"

"Pardon?"

"Why do you let me call you by your first name?" She pressed. She slipped the blade back into its holster and turned herself to sit, facing me.

I smirked, and finally made eye contact. "For the same reason you would use that tactic on anyone."

733 reflected the small smile on my face. "You want me to trust you." She concluded. "Wh-"

"Because I completely trust you. Even if you weren't working under me, even if you weren't a member of the RFA, you still have my complete trust. And that's something that very few people have." I explained.

733's eyes scanned my face in something that wouldn't be far from shock or even fear. "I want you to be able to trust me, despite your nature of always looking over your shoulder and always having to second guess everything someone does for you."

"Why would that matter to you?!" She blurted without thought. The room went quiet, because I hadn't really an idea about how to answer that one. "I'm just someone that works for you at CR and someone that works with you at the RFA. Why the hell should my trust in you be such a big deal?"

She wouldn't let it go. I had to admit, not everyone intrigued me like she did. She lived in a job that selfishness was survival, yet she was kind. She was a legend in her line of work, yet she was humble. She appeared flawless, but she admitted that she was ashamed of something. All of that could be answered, but not now. I still have a long way to go before I can unlock everything about her that I want to know.

But that will only lead to the question of Why do I want to know so badly? And I really don't have an answer for that. Luciel was just as mysterious, but I never cared. So why do I want to know so much more about her.

So why does her trust matter so much to me? "Because I want it to matter to you." I answered. She kept studying my face and my words.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" in truth, I had no idea. It just felt more truthful than not giving an answer.

"I'll let you figure that out." She sighed, clearly deciding that she wouldn't get the answers she was looking for out of me.

"Jaehee will be ready at the normal time. I'm going to visit 707 today, make sure you have competent guards with you." She stood and left through the door that separated our apartments.

Well, that could have gone a lot better. But I think both of us will be over it by lunch. Although by noon, 733 hadn't been back at all.

I logged into the chatroom to see if she was there.

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom._

_707: oh hey, Jumin!_

_Me: Is 733 with you?_

_707: wow, no hello?_

_707: I have been_

_707: Attacked!!_

_Me: Just tell me if she's there._

_707: yeah she's still here. I didn't realize she was here until she scared the living daylight out of me._

_Me: ?_

_707: well, she knows how to get past my security system, since she knows how it works and she can speak Arabic._

_707: Here she is!_

He sent in a picture of 733 sitting on the floor in his house. She studied a group of papers and folders with a lot of redacted information on them shown with black lines. And she looked extremely stressed about it.

_707: She's looking through all of the paper files on the Kkangpae while I look through all the ones on the digital files._

_Sung has entered the chatroom._

_Sung: Hello, Jumin_

_Sung: Hello, Luciel._

_Me: Hello, Sung._

_Sung: Oh my. Is Myeong ok?_

_707: Yeah I noticed she seems kind of out of it. I can't think of anything that could stress her this much._

_Me: I have an idea, but I think you should stay out of it until she speaks what she wants to._

_Sung: He's right. We shouldn't meddle in things that aren't ours to deal with._

_707: B_

_707: U_

_707: T_

_707: She's my coworker, I should know why she's feeling bad._

_707: If she doesn't feel good, it could efffect her work performance._

_Me: Ask her yourself if you want to know._

_Me: On a different note. I did get a wonderful picture today._

_I sent the picture of 733 asleep on the couch this morning._

_Sung: Is there a reason you have a picture of her sleeping?_

_707: !!!!!_

_707: Scandal!!!!_

_Me: She fell asleep with Elizabeth when she finished doing security checks last night._

_Sung: It is a rather cute photo. And surprisingly well taken._

_Me: I agree. It is adorable._

_707: Whoa! Jumin actually thinking a girl is cute??!? What had the world come to?!_

_Sung: Luciel, please don't assume anything._

_Me: I would not deny that she is above average looks._

_707: *Shocked*_

_Sung: Well, that's not something you hear every day._

_Me: Is there something wrong with saying that?_

_Sung: Nothing wrong, but we've just never heard you sing any praises to a woman before. It's only a little shocking._

_Me: Well, she's dependable, efficient, kind, honest and entertaining to be around. What isn't there to appreciate?_

_707: AND HE DIGS HIMSELF DEEPER!!!_

_Sung: Don't listen to seven, he watches to many soap operas._

_Sung: there are many ways to find out if Jumin is actually romantically interested in Myeong. And none of them are our business._

Now that raised several more questions and answers that could potentially be problematic. 733's question came back to mind. "Why the hell should my trust be such a big deal?"

If the answer was that I was romantically interested in her, then it made sense. But do I even know her well enough to comfortably admit that I could have feelings for her. No, I don't. At worst, she's a business acquaintance, at best, she's a good friend. But I don't even know her name.

Then I should keep trying to gain her trust and her name, and if she gives it to me, then I can work on getting to know her better, which can lead me to the conclusion of if I have any feelings for her.

_Me: I don't have any romantic feelings for her. 733 is nothing but a friend._

_Sung: See, there's no reason to over exaggerate._

_707: I doubt it will end there._

_707: you put her in the friend zone then_

_707: BAM_

_707: You've fallen for her._

_Me: Thank you for the cautionary tale, but I think I can handle myself._

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom._

Coming back to work was hard enough. There was a news spot scheduled for tomorrow night to give our perspectives on what happened. And I would need 733 for that.

"Mr. Han" Assistant Kang broke through my thoughts. "Its getting late and we have an early morning meeting with the board of directors tomorrow."

I finally noticed that the window was now dark and the clock now read somewhere close to 9:30 pm. "Yes, I suppose we should get going. Are you going to be staying with 733 tonight?"

"She hasn't contacted me to say otherwise, so yes." She explained. "But there is something I would like to ask about it it's not to intrusive."

"What is it? You know I won't hold it against you."

"Did you and Myeong argue about her calling you by your first name this morning?"

I don't know how she could have possibly known that. "In a way of sorts."

"I feel like that might have been my fault." She admitted, letting her gaze fall to the floor. "I mentioned to her last night that she was the only one you let call you by your first name."

"It's not your fault. I just think the subject was brought up in a bad moment is all. I'm not mad at anyone."

Jaehee breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god. I've noticed that you're comfortable around Myeong and I would hate to have ruined that. She's possibly one of the only people that have understood you in such a short amount of time." She elaborated. "I'm happy you have someone to understand you."

"I have a question for you, and I hope it's not too intrusive." She perked her head up as we got into the car. "Why do you think 733 understands me so easily? It's clear she's dealt with men like me, yet I doubt she's ever tried to understand them."

Jaehee though for a second before letting out a small chuckle. "I think it's because she wants you to understand her. Whatever triggered her interest in you is beyond me, but I believe that all she really wants is to be at peace. I think you have a way of calming her down."

733 does have a rather intense lifestyle, and the idea that I am some sort of refuge for her makes me feel somewhat bad for testing her like that this morning. She should come home tonight, since I doubt Luciel will allow her to blow off her nightly checks.

What I didn't expect was for her to be waiting for me sitting crossed legged on my couch with Elizabeth in her lap. A man would either have to be gay or Zen to not appreciate this sight. And even Zen might be willing to overlook the cat for the fact that she was there.

-X- Myeong

I had walked to the remote area of the city where I knew 707's house would be. I found the entrance and knocked on the door.

_"Please say 'I love cats' in Arabic"_ The door said.

I rolled my eyes and spoke into the microphone. "'Ana 'uhibu alqitat."

The door opened and I walked in, closing and locking it behind me. He was in his kitchen, grabbing some chips and a soda. "I kind of knew you ate nothing but junk food."

707 jumped nearly three feet in the air. "How the hell did you get in!!?!!"

"Did you forget that half of the agents are fluent in Arabic?"

"Mary isn't!"

"Mary hasn't done field work in years." I retorted quickly. He let out a relieved breath.

"What are you doing in here, anyway?"

"I know Vanderwood gave you not only the digital copies of the Kkangpae files, but also all of the papers that haven't been put into the system. And since mafia activity is always greatly monitored, I know you'll need some help."

Luciel didn't seem convinced, even after I sat down and started sifting through papers.

"You're hiding from something aren't you?" He guessed. I remained silent, deciding that answering such a stupid question wasn't worth the effort.

"So that's a 'yes.' What did Mr. Trust fund kid do this time?" He asked opening up his phone.

"None of your business, Saeyoung." I bit. He seemed rather shocked that I would pull up his name in a time such as this.

After a bit he spoke up again. "Jumin's looking for you. What did _you_ do?"

"Nothing that should concern _you_." The snap of Luciel's camera broke through the silence. "What the hell?"

"Jumin asked for proof of life." He reasoned. I ignored him. He tapped through a few responses, laughing every once in a while.

He suddenly gasped. "You might wanna see this one, Myeong." He came over to my seat on the floor to show me something in his phone.

"Why the hell did he take a picture!?" I screeched.

Luciel laughed and tapped out a response

_707: Scandal!!!!_

"Nothing's going on like that, Luciel! I fell asleep on his couch, doing security checks."

"While you were cuddled up with little Elly!"

I felt my cheeks heat up and hiding it would be futile. "Nothing is going on!"

"Oh! Both the red in your face and Jumin's little note say different."

_Jumin Han: It is adorable_

"That doesn't mean anything. So what if he thinks the picture is cute?"

"Well, now he's saying you have 'Above average looks.' Is this love I see blossoming?!"

"Saeyoung, log out of the chatroom!" I tried to take the phone out of his hand, but he was in a much better position than me, making it impossible for me to reach the device.

"Why? You worried he'll say something incriminating?" he laughed, keeping the phone away from me. "Wow, that's quite the string of compliments! He really likes you. I see why you didn't want me to stay around for this part."

"What did he say now?"

Luciel showed me the message now that I wasn't trying to take the phone.

_Jumin Han: Well, she's dependable, efficient, kind, honest and entertaining to be around. What isn't there to appreciate?_

I froze at the sight of it. "Myeong, what's going on?" Luciel said a bit more serious.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Myeong, I'm possibly the only one that will understand." My eyes wouldn't meet him. I'd rather be staring at the ground right now.

"Jumin would." I mumbled. Luciel heard it and let out a sigh.

"But it's clear something is going on right now. Unless you're ready to face Jumin right now, I'm the only one that understands. Please, let me help."

"Jumin wants me to trust him. And I don't know if I'm ready to handle that."

"Has Jumin given you any reason not to trust him?"

"No, but you know it's not that simple, Luciel."

He nodded "Yes, I know. Your default setting is to not trust anyone. Do you remember the agency handbook?"

"I have sections of it memorized."

"Great! Do you remember rule B-24?"

"_An agent should never trust anyone but themselves_."

"Which is easy to understand. But there is an acceptation to that rule." I didn't know of any acceptation to that rule.

"Where is it written?"

"In the ways to retire from agent work. You know that getting married is one of the ways to leave. And if you aren't allowed to trust your spouse, then they're trying to breed dysfunctional relationships, and we know there's nothing going on like that."

I thought over what leaving the agency entails. Specifically over the marriage option.

"Still don't know? It says '_An agent should trust anyone they hold a deep connection with_'"

"Yes, but then it never explains what a '_deep connection_' really is, so I ignored it."

Luciel chuckled. "That's because it's different for everyone. If you're an agent, they already trust you to make your own tough decisions. Deciding what that means, is up to you."

"So I need to find out what exactly that entails?"

"Yes. So, what would it mean to have a deep connection with someone. Example, me."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you need an example that isn't Jumin. Just do it, I know what I'm doing." He reasoned.

"Alright, well…." I thought hard about what to say. What would have to change before I could say I had a deep connection to 707?

Part of it would be his willingness to help, so he has that down. Another would be his understanding. While he understands my view in perspective of my work, he doesn't understand why I feel the need to keep it up because of my position. Not only that, but he would need to understand why I stayed with the agency. He would need to be a peaceful presence to be around, 707 is not peaceful in the slightest. He would have to be playful in a simple way. I would prefer someone that can banter every once in a while, but not like he always does.

"Well, a willingness to help. Understanding of my perspective and reasons. Peaceful presence, and we would have to understand each other's humor."

"Alright. So it's clear to you that I don't have all of that." He clarified as I nodded. "Great. Now how much of that do you share with Jumin?"

"Ah-" I cut myself off. I was about to say none of it, but the literal first act he ever did towards me was offering to get me out of a position if I should ever want to. That only lead to another revelation that he also understood what it was like to constantly have to be the best and fulfill the expectations of those around you. Not only that, he understood that I was getting bored and let me interrogate Mr. Teo for no other reason than my own entertainment. Which sent the next domino toppling. Was Jumin a peaceful person to be around? Yes. He really was. He only ever expected me to do as I said I could, and even let me do as I wanted. The last point was hit when I realized that the small playful banter between us was easy and fun, not overbearing or annoying or boring. "A-All of it…"

"So you acknowledge that you have a deep connection with him. Now the only question is if you want to trust him." He explained.

"I-I do want to trust him. But I don't know if I can…" I admitted.

"Then trust him with one thing you don't normally tell people and move onto more serious things from there."

-X- Jumin

"Hi, Jumin." She didn't look up from the cat in her lap.

"Hello." I took off my suit jacked and pet Elizabeth's head.

"Jumin, I-"

"Don't apologize." She didn't appear angry that I interrupted her. "I knew exactly what you were talking about and I pushed you, even though I knew it would have a negative effect on you. And for that, I apologize."

She didn't say anything, only observed my expression, looking for something. "Thank you." She finally answered. "You know, 707 seems to believe in you a lot. And he pointed out a lot of things to me."

Elizabeth had hopped off her lap and allowed her to turn towards me. She kept her eyes down and evened her breath forcefully. "We talked for a while, but he said one thing that caught me off guard." Our eyes met and I didn't flinch. "He made me realize that I want to trust you. And that there's nothing in the way of that accept myself."

"You don't need to force yourself to tell me anything, 733. You can tell me whatever you want when you want, but just know what I'm after." I assured her.

Her brown eyes darted across my face, desperately searching for something. "What do you want to know?" She asked curiously.

"Your real name, for starters. But I want to know you like a close friend." I said. She kept her eyes trained on my face, concentrating on my expression or lack of one.

I allowed her to simply search for as long as she needed to, not moving my face or my eyes from hers. 733 sighed in something akin to defeat, yet not disappointed. She had reached a conclusion. "I will give you my real name so long as you don't use it unless we're alone."

"I agree to those terms."

"My real name is Daeyang Pogpung."

-X- Daeyang

"Hmm. Daeyang." Jumin tested the sound of the name for himself, and despite the fact I knew I literally just told him, it felt weird to have someone else say it after I had kept it secret for so long.

"It suits you well. Is the meaning behind it traditional or literal."

I chuckled lightly. "Yes, my mother literally named me 'Ocean'. But I like it. There were many comparisons made of me to various ocean creatures when I started at the agency. One of them stuck and it's been used as a code word for me if they can't use my agent identification number in a document."

"Is it an eel by any chance?" He asked.

I glared with a puzzled expression. "No, Jumin, it is not an eel. Why?"

"Well" he stated matter-o-factly. "If you turn the numbers 733 upside down it spells out EEL. Much like how if you turn 707 upside down, it reads LOL."

"Well, it's not an eel. It's a specific species of octopus that the Australian organized crime ring started calling me." Jumin seemed intrigued, he listened closely. "It's something called a 'Blue Ringed Octopus'. It appears harmless and rather cute with it's size and yellow and blue ringed colors. But it is an extremely venomous creature."

"Why did that one stick?"

"Well… there are a few reasons. One is that I spent a of time in the far Eastern meridian for work. So places like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and India. All of them have Blue Ringed octopi. But the main reason is that it is known that it has enough venom to kill twenty six full grown men. And the most amount of men I can beat in hand to hand combat at once is twenty six."

Jumin nodded solemnly. "You don't enjoy fighting, do you, Daeyang?"

"No… And before you ask, I won't tell you why I do it, because that's something I don't think I can trust you with yet."

A small smile played at the edge of his lips. "Alright then, Daeyang. Then that's the next thing I'll work to find out. In the mean time," He got up from the couch and held his hand out to me. "I think you should get some sleep. It's getting late and we have another day of work tomorrow."

"You do know that I sleep in small naps that take only fifteen to twenty minutes, right?" I took his hand as he helped me up.

"Why would you do that?"

"Awareness. The agents that take more dangerous jobs are trained to sleep that way so they can wake up instantly."

"That is interesting. Regardless, rest is still vital to work." It suddenly hit me that I hadn't let go of his hand yet. Jumin didn't show any signs of wanting to let go.

"I-I'll try." I said, cursing myself for the stutter. I am an elite sabotage agent that has seduced many men into following my every command, where the hell did a stutter come from?

"But, if you prefer to sleep on my couch with Elizabeth III, I'm ok with that too." And it was clear he noticed the red flush that hit my face and neck like a cannonball, with that awful smug little smirk that toyed with the corner of his lip.

"I-I think I-I'll be h-heading back n-now. Good night!" I rushed past him and to the door, letting go of his hand which he appeared to not notice after that.

Shutting the door, I pressed my back up against it and slid down it, staring up at the white ceiling. God, I am going to regret this, aren't I?

Giving him my name?! I hardly remember a time when my own mother called me by that name. It's been nearly thirteen years since I've let someone get this close. Now I just hope that this doesn't bite me in the ass like everything else did.

Jumin has to be different. Jumin has to he different.

"Myeong?" I pulled a knife from my holster at the sudden jump.

"Jaehee? I am so sorry." I slipped the knife back. "I guess I'm just a bit jumpy."

"You alright? You kind of disappeared for a while today and everyone got worried. You saw the messenger today, right?" I nodded, sitting on the counter. "Did you two work things out?"

"Yes. It's just, I think I've made a horrible mistake and I'm worried I'm not going to be the one paying for it." I briefly elaborated.

Jaehee, however seemed to understand and didn't press for answers. "You know him better than me. So you should know that whatever you've done, Mr. Han won't hold it against you."

"I hope your right. He's putting a lot on the line for curiosity."

Jaehee looked at me quizzically, assessing what exactly that meant. That both me and Jumin could wind up somewhere we really shouldn't be.

"if this goes horribly wrong, he could loose a lot."

"Then don't let it go wrong, Myeong." She stated sternly. "Goodnight." She smiled and headed back to the guest room.

I don't control how things turn out. I can't choose whether or not it goes horribly wrong, because success and failure are objective. Yet there seems to be some truth to her claim.

Tomorrow will be hell. Knowing how popular CR is, he's most likely already allowed a news channel or two do an interview. I've always hated being on TV, but hopefully whatever he has planned, I don't want to poison someone's coffee by lunch.

AN: So, depending on how much I write tomorrow, I may be able to have another chapter or two out by Teusday. I have so much planned for this fic.

I was able to plan a fuck ton last night on the direction I wanted this story to go, and I believe I have a pretty solid story.

Now for y'all people that are here for the long haul, I have a minimum of fifteen chapters planned out, each of them around 5k words with the acception of chapter III.

Sorry for all my fellow multi/billingual people. I am studying a total of nine languages and while Arabic is one of them, I am not yet fluent in it. So if you speak Arabic and I am way off, I apologize. This will also go for French when it is brought up in a later chapter. I am not fluent in either language, so I will most likely fuck it up pretty bad.

Thanks for reading,

-Tobi Palace.


	5. Chapter V Behind a Warrior

I am going to poison someone's coffee and it's not even noon. The amount of preening and makeup that is being shoved onto my face is going to break my nose.

Jumin seemed to be handling it well. Hardly phased by the brushes, buzzing around his face like a hive of wasps. "Myeong. Am I correct in assuming you have been interviewed before?"

"Yes."

"Then I suppose I shouldn't need to warn you how off topic they can get. Especially with me, they will most likely want to believe that you are a romantic interest of mine."

"Not like that's anything new." I scoffed, annoyed. "In any case, avoiding questions is something I know I'm good at."

"Let's see how long it takes before one of them is blowing their top. You have enough information to give?"

"Just the right amount to sent whoever attacked us into a scared frenzy. And it may lead to them revealing themselves sooner." He nodded in approval.

People buzzed around the chairs where we were eventually sat down in front of some cameras. A woman and a man sat down in opposing chairs in front of us to capture everything on a screen.

"I'm Daeshim and this is my wife, Sun-Hi. Thank you so much for letting us conduct this interview." He smiled politely. Little did he know, I would be viewing him as my enemy for the next hour or two.

"It's a pleasure to be here. This is my head of security, Myeong Kim." Jumin introduced. Sun-Hi immediately seemed to be interested in me.

"Tell me, I've been trying to get his side of the story on his lack of celebrity gossip for years now. Does he actually have no romances, or is he just a really good liar?" She held both of my hands like she was pleading desperately.

"Well, He is a bad liar, but I honestly don't look that much into his personal life. He's my boss, not my boyfriend." Sun-Hi sighed in defeat, her shoulders deflating.

"Let's just begin the interview, honey." Daeshim nodded, sitting down. The camera man gestured to us that he was now rolling.

"Welcome to Haneul today. I am your host, Daeshim Yung."

"And I am your co-host, Sun-Hi Yung."

Daeshim continued. "Two days ago, CR International was attacked. Police ate still unsure of where the attack came from, but we are now able to get an insider's view on the incident. CR heir, Jumin Han and CR head of security, Myeong Kim, are with us today."

"Myeong Kim, you have not been working with Mr. Han for very long, have you? Was this incident isolated or do you think there is someone out there that could gain from attacking CR?"

"Is there someone out there that can benefit from scaring the company? Yes there is. Our sources lead us to believe that this could have been tied to an organized crime ring." I answered confidently.

"What do you think this ring is up to?" Daeshim pressed.

Jumin was the one to speak up this time. "We have reason to believe that it is someone that has pressed us for a deal in the past. All information of that investigation has been handed over to the police. They will have a better understanding of that specific aspect of the situation."

"How do you think their plan extends?" Sun-Hi questioned.

"How will this affect the company? I don't think the terror will last that long. Once the new security features are in place, it will be nearly impossible to have something like this happen again." I said.

707 was actually the one to teach me how to handle a public interview. Never directly answer the question unless it's one you need people to know. Answer with your own question, then answer your own. They eat it up.

"Now, Ms. Kim. You have only been with Mr. Han for about six months, right?" She pressed again. I had only been working under him for about two weeks, but that info was important. I answered affirmative.

"Before you worked for Mr. Han, what did you do?"

"Mostly bodyguard work. I have worked with some different police forces for more intense operations in some cases where I am needed." I kept the smile on my face despite the absolute hatred for the questions that I knew would most likely come after this.

"Wow. And such a young woman too." Daeshim gasped. "What made you choose such a career field where you knew things like this would happen?"

I forced a laugh. "Well, since I was little, I loved to protect people from harm. I was always the one kid that would beat up bullies. I was a competitive MMA fighter for a bit in my teens and I guess that eventually started my rise to this field."

Sun-Hi was exasperated at the story. "But eventually you will have to move on past this. Tell me, are there any plans to retire from this dangerous field in the future? Perhaps to settle down or find a husband?"

I tried to find something to counter that with, but none of them would go over well. The question had been so straight forward it was alarming. I would most likely die on a mission once I got slightly too slow. I definitely won't kill myself, but a mission will take my life before I have the chance to ever try settling down. And that was always the plan. And because that was the plan, it lead to me caging myself in the agency for the rest of my possible future.

"Myeong still thinks she's far too young to be thinking about retirement." Jumin spoke up. "Besides, I hired her because of how committed she was to her work. Based on my assessment, Myeong would rather taze a man before she has to marry anyone."

He responded for me. I relaxed, knowing they would take that answer and move on. He deflected that for me. The rest of the interview passed by like a nap you didn't know you took. My mind aimlessly answered questions as I was too distracted by that one question that Jumin answered for me.

Jumin sat next to me in the car. I stared out the window in hopes that I could make some sense out if why he would do such a thing. But of course, getting that answer out of him would probably lead to something similar to the first argument about his and my names.

But that wasn't what I was focused on, for some reason. I was more focused on what the question was itself. I already know it's impossible for me to ever retire. I know the choices I've made make it impossible. But everyone gets tired of action twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

"You know, I actually have thought about settling down. And retiring from high stake missions." I blurted.

Jumin looked up and put his phone away. "Oh?"

"Yeah. This job is tiring. And because I made some bad choices at the start of my time at the agency, I can't ever do that." I explained.

Jumin's expressions were never much to go on, but it was always easy to tell when his face softened to something kinder. "Is that why you hate fighting? Because you want to settle down?"

I nodded. "I can't. When I started, I had a purpose. But it was lost long ago. I drowned myself in missions and tried to find a purpose other than what I started with. My only chance of ever leaving it one day disappeared, so I figured if that chance was gone, then I would commit everything to the work nobody else could do."

"The suicide missions." He inferred.

"Yup. And I regret it. That choice is basically why it's so hard for me to leave, even with the requirements of the rulebook."

"Why tell me? You seemed rather hesitant to say anything when I asked."

I chuckled. "Back in the interview, you defended me. I didn't want to answer that question and you did for me."

A trademark small smile on his face was all the assurance I needed that he could tell I was avoiding their question before his face turned a bit more serious.

"Why did you join the agency?" That answer was a long one. And one I haven't even shared with the agency itself. Only one person has ever had a clue about that answer and he died a long time ago.

"The first number." I mumbled. Speaking more clearly I addressed him. "You don't need to worry about that."

There was a small spark in Jumin's eye that I assumed I would be finding out about later. He shrugged it off and turned back to his phone. He seemed to be texting someone and when we came up to the CR building, it was clear Jaehee was slightly panicking.

"Any more news?" He asked, his demeanor changing as he swiftly passed through the doors.

"No, he canceled and finding another translator before tomorrow morning. And Ahli doesn't have one either, we agreed that you would be supplying the translator for this meeting." She explained.

"What's going on?" I finally asked.

"Mr. Han is going on a business trip to Dubai tomorrow morning to meet with an oil company that we work with, and our normal translator had to cancel for a family emergency. We don't have a way of getting one before tomorrow morning."

"So, you are looking for an Arabic interpreter to be able to communicate his contact?"

"Yes." Jumin answered quickly, looking through his phone I'm search of some kind of way out.

"Jumin, I am fluent in Arabic." He looked up suddenly.

Scanning over me he let out a small chuckle. "It's a three day trip. Do you think your duties here will be ok for that long?"

"Normally, I would say no. But I believe that things will be safe here for a bout seven days so long as 707 continues doing what he does."

Jaehee sighed in relief. "Mr. Han, she's probably a safer bet than our original interpreter anyway."

"Alright. Guess you're coming with me. Assistant Kang, make sure that the normal security personnel are properly briefed on everything before we leave."

"Yes sir." She nodded and was off as quickly as she could get the words out of her mouth.

-X- Jumin

I didn't forget Daeyang told me she could speak several languages, and I didn't forget that Luciel said Arabic was one of them. However, I didn't realize that she would be so eager to accompany me to Dubai.

Now that we are on the plane, I'm surprised she looks so at ease here. I probably shouldn't be surprised, because every time I asked her a question, she seemed to know the answer, and she's probably been in every situation that I could never dream of. Of course I know she doesn't know everything, but finding something that she doesn't understand might prove difficult.

"Daeyang?" She looked up from her book in her lap. "You said you speak a total of nine languages. Which are they?"

"I speak a total of ten, I had to learn nine. Korean, Arabic, English, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, and German."

"_Vous ne parlez pas Français_?"

Daeyang's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?" A cautious smile on her face.

"You do not speak French." I translated. "It's quite interesting."

"What is?" She asked.

"That's the first time I've ever seen you truly confused." Suddenly, Daeyang was more human. I already knew she had flaws and shames like any other person, but they just seemed like a story. However if I really wanted to get to the bottom of her to settle my curiosity, I would have to find where it all started. Or 'the first number' as she put it.

Daeyang's mind was somewhat of a maze. While figuring out what she wanted was as easy as asking her, getting information out of her was much more of a delicate operation.

If I were in any other position, getting her to tell me these things without torture would be impossible. However, being in a position where Daeyang wants to trust me, makes this like a way of bartering a trade of emotion and trade is something I know how to do.

That doesn't mean the value of what Daeyang tells me is lost. The things I give in return for information are rather personal as well. I've never let any employee call me by my first name, and in exchange, she gave me her real name. I took off the burden of something she was in pain because of and she told me why she felt burdened by it.

But now I am trying to dig into something that she didn't answer with '_prove you are worthy_.' I got the command of '_don't worry about it._' Which based on my analysis, means something like '_fuck no, don't bring that up again, or I will break your toes.'_

Yet I still want to know. So that probably means digging deep into myself to find something that she will take in exchange for the story I am looking for. While I am at the disadvantage of her deciding what is worth trading, I trust Daeyang not to use this against me. And in the end, that's all I can really offer her. My complete trust.

Despite her clear ability to control her expressions, she never really did unless it was vital to do so. Which was quite a blessing since Daeyang's expression of confusion as she was trying to work through something in her own mind was rather entertaining.

Not only could I practically hear the gears turning in her head, I could also pinpoint the exact moment when she gave up trying to figure out the issue. She let out a small breath, her face and shoulders deflating in down fall.

Daeyang closed her eyes and soon was asleep. Well. This would be another ten hours to Dubai and she only sleeps for small catnaps and would most likely be awake before the hour was up.

Though, I was unprepared for her talking in her sleep. Daeyang stirred slightly and mumbled things from yes and no answers to "No, you don't get to take my elbows."

After a while, I noticed she had been asleep for a lot longer than she says she normally does. It had been exactly fourty seven minutes.

"The mission shouldn't matter." She mumbled in her sleep. I looked up at her again, realizing she was now tensed with an expression of pain. Daeyang started breathing heavily, practically panting. "I'm sorry, Iseul. I'm sorry, Iseul. I'm sorry, Iseul." She repeated over and over again, curling up with her hands in fists.

Should I wake her up? She was clearly having a nightmare, so was it better for me to wake her, let it pass or let it wake her up.

Now that she was nearly crying, I should probably wake her up. She immediately tensed as my hand touched her shoulder. Her body trembled under my touch. "Daeyang?" I shook her slightly as she continued to shake.

"Daeyang. Are you ok?"

She flinched awake, looking pale and frantically observing everything around her again. "Sorry. I need to go to the bathroom."

Daeyang headed to the back of the plane. Where I could hear her puking her guts out. I walked back and knocked on the door. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine." She answered

"No, you are not. Daeyang, what's wrong?"

Her voice wavered between words "I-I slept for t-too long."

"Come out of the bathroom." There was no noise in behind the door before it opened. She kept her eyes angled at the ground. "You had a nightmare."

"I know." She said softly.

"What was it about?"

"It's nothing. I haven't been sleeping a lot because of the whole Kkangpae situation, so I slept for too long, and that's when the nightmares happen."

"Nightmares?"

Daeyang blurted forcefully "You don't know half the shit I've had to do." She suddenly realized what she had said. "I…. I-.. forget it." She pushed past me, going back to her seat. I would love to know who Iseul is, but that seems like a bad decision at the moment.

Maybe it was time to admit that I was a bit more attached to her than the other people I usually meet through the RFA. I already knew that I was more fond of her than the everyday person. I liked her a lot more than Assistant Kang, that was for sure. But I suddenly noticed that I cared about her unlike most people.

Sitting next to her again, she was definitely distraught. The only issue is that I have no clue how to help. I guess I could start by trying to think of something to offer her in exchange for her full story.

-X- Daeyang

_Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit. Way to go Daeyang, you managed to screw yourself over in your sleep._ Alright, this doesn't have to be a bad thing. Jumin seems to have let it go, and he doesn't know exactly what the nightmare was about. So long as he doesn't know, I'm not in trouble for sharing confidential information.

Finally landing, the change in air was definitely sudden. The cool condition of the plane contrasted with the hot, dry wind that whipped my short hair around my face. A man surrounded by three security guards.

Jumin stood up straight and addressed the man in traditional Muslim dress. "Mr. Ahli, it is a pleasure to meet with you again."

Realizing that I now needed to get into gear, I translated the phrase into Arabic for the man. Mr. Ahli seemed confused as he looked between me and Jumin.

"_Your wife speaks many languages_." He said in Arabic.

Jumin waited for me to translate it. "Uh… Your assistant speaks many languages."

"She is a good worker. She will be a trustworthy for our business purposes." I spoke to Mr. Ahli as he nodded.

"_Anyone you trust is welcome with me. Allow me to show you where you will be staying_."

Speaking to Jumin, we both followed him to a car where I continued to be the mediator between business talk, however, my interest was caught when Mr. Ahli mentioned a party tonight which he was inviting Jumin and I to.

"_Would you two like to join me for the hundredth anniversary party of my company?_" I asked Jumin for Mr. Ahli. However, he didn't look to Mr. Ahli, but to me. Where I tried to give my best puppy dog smile. Of course I really, really want to go. I haven't had some fun in a while and it's been even longer since I've toyed with some aristocrats and business people in Dubai.

His dark eyes gazed over my smile. He seemed to be contemplating my expression before a tiny grin spread across his lips.

"We would love to go." He chuckled.

"_Nahn nuhibu 'an yati_." I told Mr. Ahli. He gave a bright smile.

-X-

Jumin and I would be sharing a hotel room. Thankfully there were two beds, but it was the same room.

"Daeyang?" Jumin called over from the kitchenette. It's still a bit strange, but it feels great to have him call me by my original name. That and the way he always said it. Jumin would always ask it as opposed to simply commanding it as he did with most people.

"Yes?"

"I have a strange question." He walked out, shrugging on his vest and playing with the cuffs of his sleeves. I looked up to him. "Who is Iseul?"

The world froze at the mention of that name. Staring at the same spot of the carpet seemed to be the only thing I was cognitive enough to do. It took me almost a whole thirty seconds before I realized that I wasn't breathing, and when I finally did, air left my lungs in short bursts. "Where did you hear that name?" The attempt to hide the terror in my voice was there but insignificant.

"You kept repeating '_I'm sorry, Iseul_' in your sleep on the plane." Jumin responded. He came up closer to me, seeming to understand at least a small part of what was going on. "Daeyang. You don't need to answer. I understand if you can't or won't tell me." He placed his hand on my shoulder, hesitantly. I flinched at first, but the gesture was comforting. Especially from Jumin, who didn't usually show emotions.

Actually, now that I mention it; why does he not show emotion? There are some reasons that the expression of emotions can be repressed. And it's always a learned behavior for either circumstances or the reactions of others.

"Jumin, I have a strange question." He nodded. "Why is it that you never show emotions?"

Jumin took a step back, pondering his answer. "I guess it just became meaningless to show." I observed closer, and he understood that I wanted him to elaborate on that.

"My life as a child was rather sheltered. For a while, I didn't care or understand that it was bad, but it started to become bland and repetitive. Getting affection or compliments were a part of a routine that I always knew meant less to people than their own concerns. When I showed my emotions, the reaction was always the same. So I just stopped since it never mattered."

Despite how awful I knew my life was, it didn't take anything away from knowing that it was difficult for him. And he was probably one of the only people I knew who wouldn't compare his struggle to mine. His pain was just as real as mine; just because I can handle that easily, does not mean it is easy for other people.

"Even though it happened so long ago……" He stopped, unable to complete the statement.

"It still hurts." I finished for him. I know exactly what it's like to feel plagued by something that happened years ago. For me, it happened five years ago on Iseul's twenty-third birthday. I was only twenty at the time.

"Yes. It still does affect me."

I still looked down, but now at his hand. Even though I couldn't see his face, I could tell he was trying to dissect exactly what was going through my mind. Maybe I would like to tell him who Iseul was and why he still haunted my dreams. But that was a specific mission that I can't talk about. If I left out enough details, then maybe I could tell him what happened. I'll have to go over the rulebook again and see what the exact parameters qualify classified information.

"Do you feel like it was your choice to stop showing emotions? Or do you feel like it was done to you?"

"I-…. I don't know. If I had to take a guess, I would estimate it was more of a choice."

"Do you regret it?" I asked. I couldn't stop myself from taking his hand and lifting it to take a closer look at it. His hand was so much bigger than mine, his skin tone was just barely lighter, but there was one thing that stood out among the other traits. My hand was slightly calloused from holding weapons and fighting, and had the barest traces of scars from learning how to use such weapons. And his… His hands were clean. Not only clean from callouses and scars, but also from blood. From blood of enemies and friends. His hands didn't carry the weight of bones that dragged behind me.

If Jumin was taken aback or suddenly spooked by me taking his hand, he didn't show it as he answered. "Sometimes." His answer was distant, yet warm. As if I was looking at a heat mirage while I was freezing in some desolate snow-scape.

My thumb brushed across the small creases in his palm. His smooth skin slightly tensing under my touch, but the rest of him was clearly relaxed. "Why do you regret it?"

Jumin's hand closed around mine. "Because I've forgotten how to show how I feel when words can't explain." I looked up to his face, where I soon realized that we were standing rather close. But with the closeness, I could see a small glint in his eyes. An emotion that I couldn't even place.

"Why do you always look at me so closely?"

He didn't answer for a bit, only kept his eyes on me. "You always show how you feel. And I know you can hide them, but you never do in front of me."

"Because I want you to see. And I want to tell you, but I don't think I can." It wasn't even about the rulebook anymore. I would happily break a rule for him now. But bringing that part of me up could tear me apart.

"Then don't push yourself. Tell me when it hurts the least." He advised. "In the mean time" He broke the aura. "You and I need to get something to wear for tonight, so you'll be coming with me to go shopping for a dress."

Being at a shopping center in the middle of Dubai, seemed like something I had done before, but the memory was distant, almost not real. With Jumin, however, this was very real, very present and hilariously domestic for me.

Jumin had already chosen a tux for the party and now I was looking through some luxury store for a dress. It took a while, but eventually a dress caught my attention.

The gown was long and without heels, it would drag on the floor. The bottle green V-neck dress with a belt of shiny jewels across the waistband. But of course it had an opened back. It would show too much of my tattoo.

Looking over to Jumin, I contemplated if I should show him my tattoo. Meh, I don't want to explain it to him yet, but I am ok with him seeing it. And it might be funny to see his reaction to me having such a large, strange marking on my back.

"You like that one?" He asked.

I nodded. "Thankfully in this part of the world, tattoos aren't such a big deal, so the open back won't be an issue."

Smirking he asked "You have a tattoo?"

"Yes. And a rather large one too. However, as you know most Asian countries don't appreciate them since usually only criminals have them."

"What is the tattoo?"

"You will see tonight." I smiled brightly.

We bought the dress and some shoes to go with it. However as we were leaving the shopping center, another dress in a window caught my eye.

A long cobalt blue dress that treaded the floor. The cloth hugged the sides of the mannequin with golden lace in henna patterns and frills splayed across the chest, and dotted small sections of the back and arms.

"You like that one too?"

"Hmm?" Attention snapped to Jumin again. "Oh, I do. But maybe some other day. I like the one I have." Yeah I did like the dress. However, it's hot as hell here and I can't handle a dress with such long sleeves.

Jumin shrugged as we headed back to the hotel room.

-X- Jumin

We needed to get going if we were going to make it to the party and Daeyang was taking a while. "We need to leave in the next two minutes!" I called out to her as she continued to apply makeup and jewelry.

"I am well aware of what the time is!" She called back. I sighed and stepped back, leaning against the wall.

"There, I'm done." She came out into the main room. Where I was rather surprised to see how much better that green dress looked on her than on the mannequin. The heels on her feet were about five inches which made her almost eye to eye with me. "See what a little patience gets you?" She giggled. I swear if I didn't know her I would think she was some kind of goddess.

"Yes, well let's get going." I straightened out allowed her to head out the door first. Suddenly, I remembered she mentioned the tattoo.

Most of her back was covered in a golden color with small blue rings on it. Oh, it was an octopus. It appeared to be constricting it's arms around her back and sides. As far as I know, it was a blue ringed octopus. Her code name.

Well, I'll ask about that after she's willing to tell me about 'the first number'.

Stepping out of the car and in front of the entrance, more cameras clicked, and reporters asked trivial questions. It was nice not to be one of the spotlight people at tonight's party. The paparazzi are probably more interested in the people that are more important to this company than a distributor from South Korea.

And damn, Mr. Ahli went all out for this party. When I finally finished looking around the party hall, my gaze fell on Daeyang. That was possibly the most mischievous, expression I had ever seen on anyone's face. And I've had the displeasure of meeting all of the gold digging leeches that suck on my father's arm. But even after looking through all of them, Daeyang held a look that was less thirsty for money, and more thirsty for chaos.

"Keep in mind we are not here to ruin my reputation with Mr. Ahli; try to keep your playground off the dangerous side."

She still didn't look up at me, only held her chin in deep thought. "But where do we draw the line between safe and dangerous?"

"When someone could loose their job or reputation."

"Then I'll be a good girl, Jumin." She shot a glance up at me with a malicious grin. If I did not know her as I do, then that look would send me running back to the car. Even with how I know her, that evil spark in her eye made me shudder slightly.

Daeyang approached the bar and locked her targets onto a man that was clearly talking with a business acquaintance.

Well, the least I could do for entertainment was watch. She had a habit of being very interesting when she sought out to toy with someone. She peered over at the man and once he spotted her, he was a man gone.

He strutted over to her, raking his eyes down her form. There was a sudden need to get him away from her, but I stopped myself in that thought. It would be hypocritical if I hated him for appreciating her appearance. But this man was a scumbag and hopefully this guy has been chewed up and spat out in a few minutes.

I made my way around the crowd so I could hear what they were saying.

"_Aimra'atan Jamila_." The man told her and she giggled. It was fake. Obviously. All of her expressions were over accentuated. They exchanged a few more words before the man bought her a drink from the bar.

She suddenly locked eyes with me, and gave a small hint that she wanted me to come over to her once she had the drink in her hand. She held the rather large glass of whiskey over her lips flirtatiously as she continued to laugh at what the man said.

Sliding up next to her, I greeted. "There you are, I lost you for a bit."

"Oh! Hello, Jumin." She leaned up and pressed a small peck to my cheek. "I was just getting acquainted with Mr. Dahlia here. He heads a business in engagement rings."

"_Ha hul zujk?_" Dahlia questioned.

"_La la la. 'Iinah sidiyq muqarab_" She responded back lightheartedly. She held onto my arm as though we were closer than in reality. _What kind of message is she trying to send this man?_ Whatever it was, he bid his farewells and parted quickly.

"What was that about?"

"Oh!" She laughed, having finished almost all of her drink. "Well, I got him to admit he cheats on his wife with his secretary and now both are pregnant. Quite a welcome drama. Once I got what I wanted, I signaled you, and you played along very well, if I may compliment you on that."

"You played him like a fiddle." I chuckled lightly.

"I wouldn't flatter him, fiddles are very hard to play. I played him like the cheap kazoo he is." I laughed.

"How about we do that with another person." I suggested coyly. Daeyang's response was another terrible smirk.

"That sounds like a great idea." She squeezed my hand, finishing the whiskey in her hand. "Damn, Mr. Ahli got some good whiskey." She commented before scoping out another man. "Who do you think would be a challenge?"

I looked over the crowd, taking in small details. Everyone looks fairly similar to each other. Until I spot someone that I do business with in the US a lot. "Mr. Jacob Torrence."

"Describe him."

"Blond hair, shorter man, purple bowtie, black tux." She nodded spotting him.

"What would make him a challenge?"

"He's married."

Daeyang scoffed. "You really think I can't get a man to leave his wife."

"Husband." I corrected. Her attention snapped up to me with a playful grin.

"You want to see me get difficult information out of a married, gay, man?"

I nodded, smirking to see if she would back out. "Unless you think it would be too difficult."

"Ye of little faith, Jumin. However I'll need you for this one."

"I want to see what you can do without me. If you can get him to buy you a drink in the next thirty minutes, then I will take a dare from you."

She kept her eyes over my form. "And if I can't?"

"Then you take a dare from me." I had no idea how much fun this would be. I don't think I'll be looking for any translator other than her for a while.

Her cautious expression held a faint smile of optimism. "Alright, deal." She looked over to the man, sizing him up. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she carefully calculated how she could get him to tell her what she wanted.

"I'll see you in about twenty minutes, where you're going to be meeting me with Mr. Torrence as a gay man, looking for love advice."

"I will see you in thirty one minutes where we will be giving you another three ear piercings." I watched her laugh and head in Mr. Torrence's direction. She didn't try to get him to come to her; probably because she knew that wouldn't work with him. She walked like she normally did around the office, not like a woman on a love high as she did to other men.

Instead she approached him like she would Jaehee or one of my father's messengers. Of course even with how close I could get, I still didn't understand most of it. They spoke in English, which I only knew bits and pieces of.

From what I could tell, she was speaking with him like a business contact. I caught "CR" so I assumed she was taking much more of a slightly more friendly business contact. I caught some more words like "Korea" and "yes, no" answers. But the clock was ticking down.

And just as the time ticked over twenty two minutes, He ordered her a glass of champagne. Daeyang smirked up in my direction as I headed down to her side.

"Jumin! Hi. Mr. Torrence said he's willing to give you some advice."

It suddenly occurred to me that Jacob didn't speak Korean, so I didn't need to say anything embarrassing in the first place. "Twenty two minutes. You managed just over twenty, I underestimated you."

She gave him a response in English as he then said something back.

"Oh! He's now saying you shouldn't settle for the first guy with a big dick that comes your way."

The flustered heat that I felt spread across my face must have been rather entertaining for Daeyang to be restraining her laughter to the best of her ability.

"You are a devil, you know that?" I grumbled at her as she now spoke to Jacob. However, the man in front of us looked just as uncomfortable in his position. This went on for a while until Mr. Torrence bid his farewells and scatted like a frightened cat.

Daeyang burst out laughing. "God, I love language barriers!" I sent her a death glare as she continued to laugh. "What? You don't think you were the only one I was making sweat?"

Suddenly it occurred to me that if all the information being passed was going through Daeyang, she could have been getting information from Mr. Torrence that she wasn't giving me. "What did you do?"

An evil grin plastered across her face. "I told Mr. Torrence that you knew about a health code violation in his candy factories, which i got him to confess, and that I was trying to convince you not to report him for it in exchange for a drink from him. Making him uneasy while I was turning you red as a pepper. I love making people squirm!"

That was unbelievably clever and absolutely chilling. Yes I was embarrassed, but damn. Daeyang was an imp. If someone where to put her in a contract with the devil, she would get his soul in the deal.

"I want another drink." She rubbed her hands together, like she was warming her hands to marionette everyone in the room.

Of course we found another man for her to snatch a drink off of. Then another. Then a woman. Then a priest. And by now, I was noticing she was a little tipsy.

"Myeong, we need to get back now."

"But I want another driiiink!" she whined. She wasn't blackout drunk, she was going to remember this tomorrow; though, she was definitely not in any state to stay at a party with the clock now reading nearly one am.

"Myeong, if you drink anymore, the situation could get problematic." I warned.

"But, it feels so much better." For a minute it looked like she was about to cry, but brushed it off at the last second. I guided her back to the car.

We rode back to the hotel where she managed to take off her shoes and walk around the main room. The dress now dragged on the floor and she was back to her normal height, but even despite her tipsy state, she still looked ethereal.

"Heh. I remember why I vowed never to buy myself a drink unless it was for cover on a mission." She mumbled. I sat down on the couch as she sat next to me. She planted herself closer to me than she did usually, which I found odd, but decided not to comment on.

"Why?"

"Because this hurts so much less. It would be too easy to keep drinking just to take the pain away."

"The pain from what?"

"Iseul." She calmly stated. Maybe she didn't want to be telling this to me when drunk. Should I stop her? Well, she'll remember tomorrow, so I just hope she doesn't regret it. "It's a long story."

"I'm willing to listen." She rested her back against my side and laid her head on my shoulder.

"Iseul. Well… he was my close friend back in North Korea. Only about two and a half years older than me. He got me used to the ways of the rebellion when I was only thirteen. When the coup was raided years later, he and I were off dumping napalm into military tanks. We escaped North Korea together. We were found by both the South Korean government and the agency. Neither of us trusted the government, and Iseul said he wanted to make a difference. And the training the agency would give us could give us the power to do so. I wanted to scat and never be seen again. But he convinced me that we should stay and fight. It was who we were. So I followed him. He's the reason I joined the agency."

Daeyang had wrapped my arm around her as she leaned against me, as she now stared down at my hand, tracing the creases and comparing it to her own again. Her hands were so soft. Though it was faint, with close inspection, I could see small pale stripes across some parts of her palm and fingers from faded scars.

"I really loved Iseul. He was like a brother to me. After two years of training, we were in the field. And after about a year doing field work, we were one of the best teams to send out to dangerous missions. Each mission was more dangerous than the last.

"Iseul always said that once we had been trained enough, we would go back to North Korea and free the people. Of course I was with him. Our home was in the North and we were going to win it back. He was my brother…

"We were very successful in the agency. We would almost always come out on top with only a minor loss here and there. But we were together, and that was what mattered. But our luck was bound to run out at some point."

"Was that the first number?" I asked.

She nodded, distantly. "We were in Kazakhstan, busting a slave trade. 22-b-96. After we took out a bunch of enemies and got the hostages out, I let my guard down too fast. Before either of us could process it, we realized we had missed an enemy when he put a gun to Iseul's head and used him as a human shield." Daeyang halted herself as I felt her tremble. Her whole body shook in horror against my side.

"Are you alright?" I asked, pulling her closer.

"Iseul knew there was no way out. He didn't say anything, he only smiled and closed his eyes. Knowing that would make it easier."

"Easier to do what?"

"What I was trained to do for two years. I couldn't run away and let them have an agent to interrogate. And there was no backup to bail us out. I….. I-.. I shot that man through my brother's stomach. I killed Iseul…"

Daeyang started panting, quivering more and more. She was attempting to control her own breaths so she won't cry. Not really knowing how else to respond, I wrapped both of my arms around her and let her grab at my shirt, so she could hide her face and hopefully stop trying to control her emotions. This however did lead to her being seated on my lap.

"Ever since then, I realized that if I never planned to succeed, then I could never disappoint myself like that again." She clutched the cloth, her frame curled up against mine in some sort of plea for protection.

It was hard to believe that this frail woman, clinging to me for dear life was the same woman that I had seen incapacitate two men, twice her size. Or the same woman that could so effortlessly get someone to obey her every command. Deep down, Daeyang is terrified.

She choked a few times where she finally stopped trying to control her expression and let herself give in to crying. "I never let myself cry about him. I always thought that if I did, it would be accepting that I have nothing left." She admitted. "I don't feel like I've lost everything just yet."

"So long as you stay, you won't ever loose everything." I told her. She nodded, her crying slowing and eventually stopping.

Daeyang sat up. Her makeup was smeared from bawling, her eyes were red and puffy, but she couldn't have been more beautiful. It was all just confirmation that Daeyang is human. A human that feels pain. A woman that just wanted someone to stand beside her after everyone had been cut down.

Eventually she got herself together enough to change out of her gown and get into bed. I decided to stay awake for a bit to make sure she didn't have another nightmare.

I already knew that I was fond of her. And I already knew I cared about her. But after watching her show her scars, her callouses and her soft spots, I couldn't help but understand that I was in love with Daeyang.

-X-

AN: Sorry that took so long. There was a lot of planning that went into making this cognitive enough.

Once again, sorry for the language stuff. Unlike Daeyang, I'm not a fan of language barriers.

We have a bit more time for them to spend in Dubai, so the next chapter will be them on this trip, so we wont be hearing from the rest of the RFA for a little bit, but don't worry, we will dive a bit deeper into their roles in the story eventually.

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment, even if its ti tell me something sucks. I love to know what y'all think.

I would like to thank my friend (who shall not be named here) she will be called Tattoo. I want to Thank her for helping me get my shit togethet for this story and she is the mastermind behind most of the fluff.

Also, thank you, MiharaTousaka for leaving a review. you made me so fucking happy.

Thanks for reading

-Tobi Palace


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